Access Denied
by Lacey
Summary: Siegfried is up to his old tricks again. But will his actions lead to his destruction or salvation? Sequel to Virtually Yours.
1. A Rose By Any Other Name

**Author's Note: **Greetings and welcome to Access Denied. I've tried to make this story as user-friendly as possible, but it is a sequel to Virtually Yours - which means that some parts might not make sense without having read the previous story.

**Disclaimer:** I own none of the characters or concepts behind Yugioh, so no suing. I'm poor, so you wouldn't get a lot out of me anyway. Age of Heroes, however, while drawing gameplay ideas from various RPGs, has pretty much grown into my own creation.

**Warning: **Yaoi ahead! Established Puppyshipping and (eventually) a bit of what I call Fopshipping, since I haven't found a name for the pairing. This will be the only warning.

**Access Denied**

**A Rose by Any Other Name is Still a Prick**

Siegfried von Schroeder, arguably the greatest hacker in the world, leaned back in his computer chair to admire his handiwork. Though his current business dealings with his longtime rival, Seto Kaiba, were in the realm of the legitimate, Siegfried knew he was on the verge of violating the spirit of their truce. Siegfried plucked a rose out of the vase beside his computer, breathing in the flower's scent as his thoughts dwelled briefly on his business arrangement with Kaiba.

Having witnessed Siegfried's masterful computer skills firsthand, Kaiba had hired his company to do the AI programming for the major characters in his little fantasy role-playing game - Age of Heroes. Oh, there had been provisions of course. Seto Kaiba was not foolish enough to give Siegfried free rein amongst the game characters. The characters couldn't be self-aware, like three of Siegfried's early experiments were. Ever-controlling, Kaiba wanted his game characters to remain bound to their scripts.

Most definitely, there had been nothing in the negotiations about the tinkering Siegfried was currently busying himself with, but Kaiba would still disapprove if he knew. Comparing the game princess onscreen with the woman in the old newspaper clipping taped to his monitor, Siegfried made some minuscule adjustments. She had to be perfect if she were to accomplish her purpose.

The original design for Princess Ophelia hadn't been anything to write home about. She'd been the typical fair-skinned princess who, if one were waxing poetic, sounded more like a jewelry shop than a person with her ruby lips and sapphire eyes. Her personality had been cold and aloof. As far as Siegfried was concerned, he'd done the girl a favor by completely redesigning her.

According to the character notes that Siegfried found on the Kaiba Corp network - a network that he knew he had no business nosing around on - Ophelia was betrothed to a Prince Henry of Agincourt. She had once been planning on accepting the betrothal docilely, even though she'd never met this prince. It had been a cradle betrothal, but now, thanks to Siegfried's skillful programming, the princess would not be happy until she found true love. And, of course, with Siegfried dictating her personality, the traits she sought in her true love were clearly defined.

Finding a picture of the woman Siegfried wanted to remodel the princess after had been child's play. A search of a newspaper archive had yielded the clipping Siegfried had taped to his monitor - an engagement announcement complete with photo of the young couple casting each other doe-eyed fawning looks. Recreating the woman's voice and personality had been a trickier feat. But still, even the dead could talk with the proper coaxing.

By posing as a representative of a business that took even the grainiest home movie and burned it to a DVD in the cleanest copying process possible, Siegfried had been able to convince the woman's family to give over the videos of their precious daughter. As he promised, the family's videos were captured clearly and crisply on disc. He'd just not mentioned that he'd made a copy of that disc for his own perusal.

Siegfried had used his computer system to capture samples of the woman's voice from the videos, and the machine had run its calculations to simulate the voice. "Testing," Siegfried murmured into a microphone, a smile playing about his lips as the Princess Ophelia repeated the word in a rich contralto - a perfect match of the voice on the videos.

"Ah, Herr Pegasus," Siegfried murmured to the man in the newspaper photo. "I think you will perhaps like my little surprise. It is, after all, rare for ones wife to come back from the dead." This programmed character would be Siegfried's eyes and ears in the game world. When he was logged in, he would control her as he pressed the creator of the most popular card game in the world for information - information that Siegfried could use to make Schroeder Corp the number one gaming company in the world. When Siegfried was not logged in, the princess would play her role as programmed and seek to get closer to Pegasus. All the while, Siegfried's computer systems would be set to record their time together, so that he would not miss a single thing that could be used to his advantage.

Siegfried's moment of basking in his own brilliance was interrupted by a soft knock at the door. "Enter!" he snapped peevishly. As the door opened and he caught a glimpse of the small form standing in the entranceway, Siegfried began to regret his tone.

"Siegfried, you've been in here for hours. Aren't you ever going to bed?" Despite his young age, Siegfried's little brother could nag like a mother hen when he put his mind to it. Leon entered into the computer room - a place where few dared to tread without Siegfried's permission. He stepped carefully amidst the myriad electronic devices as he made his way to Siegfried. "You are still you, aren't you?"

Siegfried nodded, recalling the incident some months back where he'd been trapped in the virtual world as his body fell under the control of a malicious program modeled after Kaiba's adoptive father. Leon never talked about those few days where Siegfried had not been himself, and Siegfried never pried. Occasionally, Leon needed reassurance that another didn't possess his brother again, and so they'd worked out a code. "Hey diddle diddle, the cat and the fiddle," Siegfried murmured as he pulled his little brother into a hug.

Leon smiled at the silly rhyme that told him Siegfried was still Siegfried. "It snowed today - huge drifts everywhere. They'll be packed down nicely tomorrow."

"Then tomorrow," Siegfried declared solemnly, "we shall go sledding." With a delighted squeak at the answer to his unasked question, Leon tightened his hug. Running a company left Siegfried with little time to himself, but some things held more importance than the bottom line. If he couldn't manage to find the time to spend a couple of hours with his little brother, then he would make the time. "Now let us both get to bed," Siegfried added, allowing himself a yawn. "We do not want to be falling asleep on our sleds."

In response, Leon went limp in Siegfried's arms. Siegfried glared at the boy without any real malice. "Don't tell me that I'm going to have to carry you to your room!" Fake snores were Siegfried's only answer. "Perhaps I should sell you to Herr Kaiba," Siegfried snapped in mock anger as he rose from his chair, little brother cradled carefully in his arms. "Maybe I could get a new set of fountain pens in exchange for you." The fake snoring grew louder in an attempt to drown out Siegfried's equally fake complaints.

Once he had Leon tucked in for the night, Siegfried went to his own room. He changed into silk pajamas and sat on the window seat to admire the view. Tall pines loomed over the snow-covered landscape - speckles of darkness in a white-blanketed world. From what he could tell, tomorrow would be a perfect day for a romp in the snow. Siegfried poured himself a glass of wine and smiled. Once playtime was through, he would retire to his computer room to put an even more intriguing game into motion.

Before retiring for the night, Siegfriend spent some time with his day planner, making notes on what could be rescheduled so that he would have time for both Leon and Kaiba's game. On a piece of stationary, he wrote out a note to his secretary listing the times in which his appointments could be rescheduled, as well as what excuse to use to explain his absence. He would have the planner and note delivered to the woman tomorrow, and she would take care of everything. Satisfied that the next day was properly prepared for, Siegfried at last permitted sleep to take him.

The first rays of dawn found Siegfried sleeping soundly, sprawled across his bed. At least, he slept soundly until Leon came barreling into his room. The boy pounced on his brother, eager to get him out of bed. "Ten more minutes," Siegfried moaned. Rather than letting Siegfried sleep in, however, Leon began shaking his shoulder relentlessly. "I'm up! I'm up!" Siegfried sighed, surrendering in the face of his brother's tenaciousness.

"And Leon von Schroeder is victorious!" Leon declared, showboating for an imaginary crowd. Siegfried threw a pillow at him. Not about to let a challenge go unanswered - a trait the brothers shared - Leon grabbed the previously airborne pillow and smacked Siegfried with it.

"You would challenge me? Ha!" Siegfried armed himself with a pillow. "Not only am I a master Duelist, Leon, but I am also a champion pillow-warrior!" As he swung his "weapon," Leon rolled off the bed. Soon the two were off on a merry chase through the halls, laughing and swinging pillows at each other. Such a scene of youthful exuberance would never have been seen in the castle while their parents had been in residence.

The normally prim and proper Siegfried was red-faced and disheveled as he and Leon burst into the kitchen. The smell of freshly cooked food set both boys' mouths to watering. "Truce?" Siegfried offered.

Leon nodded. "We finish this outside!" With that decided, Siegfried helped himself to a bagel, some sliced fruit, and - most important - a steaming mug of coffee. He began doctoring the bitter drink, never having developed a taste for straight coffee. "How about some coffee with your cream and sugar?" Leon snickered.

"I do not make fun of that chocolate cereal that you eat," Siegfried muttered with a disdaining sniff. He preferred to keep his critiques silent as he passed Leon a plate of orange slices - a wordless hint that Leon needed to eat healthier. Rolling his eyes, Leon grabbed one of the orange slices and stuffed it in his mouth. Then he grinned at Siegfried around the orange rind, nearly causing a coffee spit-take.

Once they'd eaten and dressed for the weather, the boys went out into the winter wonderland, where their battle began again. This time the boys fought with snowballs instead of pillows. In the end, the snowball battle was declared a draw, though each boy privately felt that he had won. The rest of the morning was spent sledding downhill in races where victory was more clear-cut.

It was around noon when Siegfried and Leon decided to call it a day. The boys stomped the snow off their boots on the patio and shed their coats in the foyer. A maid was already standing by with a tray holding two mugs of hot, spiced cider. "Have my lunch brought to the computer room," Siegfried told her as he took a mug. He took a sip of the steaming drink and strolled away. Leon could entertain himself for the rest of the day.

Soon Siegfried was ensconced in his private lair, enjoying a sandwich and running every test he could think of on Princess Ophelia. The last thing he wanted was to be trapped in a glitchy character's body. Being stuck in the game world once was one time too many. Satisfied that the character's programming ran to his specifications, Siegfried set himself up in his virtual reality pod and logged in.

"And furthermore," a gruff, commanding voice announced, "we will prepare a ball to welcome Prince Henry into our midst. A wedding must be properly celebrated." Wedding? So soon? But the princess wasn't supposed to be married until her eighteenth birthday! And the notes that he'd found indicated that she was sixteen going on seventeen.

Siegfried jerked his head around in the direction of the voice as the world around him came into focus. The king - Siegfried frowned as he found himself unable to remember the man's name - lounged indolently upon his throne. He was bulky, but it was the bulk of muscle, as though he found time to work out with his soldiers. Though his hair was greying, his eyes still held a shrewd intelligence. Age had not dulled this king's edge.

"Father," Siegfried murmured, trying to get into character. "Father, I am not ready."

The king turned to face Siegfried - lips pressed together in a thin, angry line. "You will not defy us in this, Ophelia. These are troubled times, and we must secure our alliance with Agincourt. Therefore, you will be married a fortnight hence " Siegfried winced at the use of the royal "we" - not a good, sign at all.

For the moment, Siegfried saw that his best option was to acquiesce. If he fought the wedding openly, the king would confine the princess to her rooms, and then Siegfried would never get to Pegasus. Slowly, Siegfried rose from his seat and curtsied to the king, choosing to play the dutiful daughter for the moment. "As you will, Father. For the good of our people, I shall do this thing. May I be dismissed now?"

The king nodded and Siegfried made his escape, seeking Ophelia's rooms. If he had only two weeks in which to find and win Pegasus instead of the year he'd originally allotted, then he had no time to spare. "Troubled times," Siegfried muttered to himself. He'd spent so much time concentrating on recreating Pegasus's wife that he hadn't paid any attention to recent game events. He knew that four cities had been released, but that was two months back.

Utterly frustrated, Siegfried pointed a finger imperiously at a passing servant. "You! Take me to my rooms." The servant, programmed to obey the members of the royal family, took the lead. When the servant stopped at a door, Siegfried shoved past him and into the Princess Ophelia's rooms.

First Siegfried entered a sitting room. There were several straight-backed chairs, someone's sewing abandoned upon one. A cheery fire crackled in a fireplace, warming the room. Siegfried crossed the floor to a window and glanced out over the landscape and sighed. He'd hoped that Kaiba's game world wouldn't have a winter, but apparently he was going to be spending longer in the snow today than he'd originally planned.

Growling words under his breath that no princess should know, Siegfried passed through a doorway into Ophelia's bedroom. The first thing that caught his attention was a gold-trimmed full-length mirror. He'd known that, at the moment, he was a blonde, but this was the first opportunity he'd had to truly admire his handiwork as it was meant to be admired.

Thick golden hair fell in waves down Siegfried's back, several tendrils curling around his shoulders to frame a perfect heart-shaped face. His face was dominated by a pair of wide, innocent eyes that sparkled like sunlight upon the sea. A delicate rosebud mouth slowly fell open as Siegfried stared at his reflection. He executed a leisurely turn in front of the mirror, taking in the entirety of his borrowed form. Even the videos of Cecilia Pegasus hadn't done the woman proper justice.

Siegfried didn't believe in love at first sight, no matter what the stories said. However, reverence at first sight, he found quite plausible as he examined his form. As much fun as it was to ogle his beautiful self, though, Siegfried had a mission to accomplish.

Deeming proper travel attire an absolute necessity, Siegfried tore his gaze away from his reflection and threw open Ophelia's wardrobe. "Schiesse," he muttered as only gowns met his sight. He searched through the dresses, hoping desperately for a pair of breeches. Nothing. Siegfried groaned and rested his head against the interior of the wardrobe door. The last thing he wanted was to traipse through God knew where while dressed for a party.

Vowing to program some proper travel clothing for the princess when he logged out, and cursing whichever of Kaiba's programmers felt that a princess should dress at all times like something out of one of Leon's fairy tales, Siegfried grabbed the most practical-looking dress, and started working on the maze of lacing in the dress he currently wore. After much cursing, and the dress refusing to come off, Siegfried stormed back into the sitting room and grabbed the scissors left with the sewing.

Once the dress was in tatters and off of Siegfried's body, he paused again to stare in the mirror. "Well, that is one way to gain freedom from that confining garment," he muttered, twirling again to admire every facet of his body. If there hadn't been snow outside and his hair had been longer, he might have given in to the temptation to pull a Lady Godiva.

The gown Siegfried had chosen was far simpler than the previous one. No complicated lacings existed to snarl his fingers in. He simply slid on the rich red velvet garment and tied a green sash around his waist, smiling a little over the holiday color scheme. "I am absolutely ravishing," he told his reflection with no hint of modesty. Why be modest about the truth?

"Artist-boy is online," a pre-set system message announced.

"Location?" Siegfried murmured as he began digging through the wardrobe for a cloak. Getting Pegasus's screen name had been absolute child's play. He'd simply made a note of it at the virtual party Kaiba's little boy toy threw at the end of the summer. And setting up a program to announce Pegasus's arrival into the game had been almost as easy.

"Dame Chat's home," came the programmed message.

Siegfried breathed a sigh of relief as he bundled up in a green fur-trimmed cloak. Dame Chat's home in Lilyvale was close by. He wouldn't have to go gallivanting all over the game world to find Pegasus. As he stepped back out into the hallway, Siegfried flagged down another servant and commanded him to lead the way to the castle gates. The servant, having no thoughts in its head beyond obeying the royal family did as commanded.

The guard at the gate proved to be more difficult. He crossed his arms and glared down at Siegfried. "Princess, it is not safe. You may not leave the castle."

With an unhappy growl, Siegfried stormed off to prowl the castle walls and seek another exit. He passed through the soldiers' practice grounds and by the barracks. The stables made Siegfried pause for thought. They were set flush against the castle wall. Unfortunately stables meant horses - the demon beasts of the animal kingdom.

With a shudder, Siegfried recalled his father's failed attempts at giving riding lessons. "Every proper gentleman can ride," the Schroeder patriarch had said as he'd lifted his young son onto the back of the monstrous behemoth. The beast wasted no time in throwing the boy. As Siegfried had lain on his back, trying desperately to reclaim the breath that had been knocked from him, he could have sworn that the thrice-cursed, flea-bitten beast was laughing at him. The whole species, Siegfried felt, was out to get him.

Finishing his lap of the castle, Siegfried realized there was no other way. Taking a deep breath to steel his nerves, Siegfried pushed into the stables. He could almost feel the bloodthirsty equine eyes regarding him hungrily as he made his way to a ladder set up at the back of the building, leading up to the hayloft. "Herr Pegasus," Siegfried muttered as he began climbing, "if I do not learn something to improve Schroeder Corp, then I swear that I will throw you into a pit of those slavering beasties!"

Muttering dire threats against gate guards and horses, Siegfried moved silently among the bales of hay. Only once did he let out a very lady-like shriek as a mouse darted out in his path. He added rodent-kind to his quiet threats as he finally reached the door where stable hands pitched out the hay. Having never worked as a stable hand, Siegfried didn't know if it had any specialized name. All he knew was that he could climb out it onto the roof and make his escape. "Locate Artist-boy," he commanded his programs as he began working his way out onto the roof.

"Sher Woods," came the reply.

Sher Woods - the forest around Lilyvale - was a beginner area. Getting through the forest would be easier than getting out of the castle, Siegfried decided as he almost lost his footing on the ice-slick stable roof. Moving carefully and trying not to draw attention to himself, Siegfried at last reached the wall. The drop wasn't as far as he thought it might be. He scrambled over the wall before he had the chance to talk himself out of this.

Freedom! Siegfried laughed in sheer delight at his escape. Next time he would have the guard reprogrammed to let him pass, but this time he'd succeeded! Dashing in the direction of the forest, Siegfried began his search for Pegasus.

After an hour of searching Sher Woods, Siegfried paused to lean against a tree and rest. He was tired and cold, and his feet were wet where snow had sloshed into his impractical, princessly slippers. Obviously Kaiba didn't believe that there was such a thing as too much realism. Just as he was on the verge of giving up, a familiar voice reached Siegfried's ears. It was too far away to make out the actual words, but he knew the voice. Peering around the tree, Siegfried watched as Pegasus came into view with someone bundled more appropriately for the weather strolling by his side.

Siegfried had hoped for a private first meeting, but at the moment he wasn't about to be picky. Pausing for a moment of thought, Siegfried realized that he knew just how to get Pegasus's attention. He pulled the hood of his cloak over his head, and then stooped to gather a handful of snow.


	2. Eye of the Beholder

**Access Denied**

**Eye of the Beholder**

"I'm bored." Those particular words out of the mouth of Maximillian Pegasus were generally enough to set the people who knew him to quaking with fear. But it was the truth. He was bored - bored with business machinations, bored with his colleagues, even bored with wine and cartoons. "Croquet, have I fallen into a rut?" The young man held up his wine glass, regarding the color of the drink more than his manservant.

"Sir?" Croquet murmured neutrally in an attempt to dodge the question.

"Bah! You're no help." Pegasus rolled his eye in disdain. Sometimes he wondered why he kept Croquet around. But then he would recall that the man had served him loyally for years, and was familiar with most of Pegasus's eccentricities. Both a new butler and a new head of security would take forever to train properly. Still, Pegasus sometimes wished Croquet would voice an actual opinion. Having a decent conversation with Croquet was rather like having a decent conversation with a rock, which wasn't a bad thing if one didn't mind one-sided conversations.

Pegasus let out his most heart-rending "woe is me" moan. "Oh, it's true, isn't it? I have fallen into a rut!" There were no impassioned denials from the other man nor laughter over Pegasus's theatrics, as Croquet kept his face carefully blank. "You know, you could probably give Kaiba-boy a run for his money," Pegasus sighed. He sipped at his wine, wondering who the winner in a stony face stare-off between Croquet and Kaiba would be.

As the phone rang, both men glanced at it, but it was Croquet who answered. "Pegasus residence." Croquet's neutral expression shifted into a frown. "No, ma'am, he's not here. He's spending the winter abroad. No, ma'am, I do not know his exact whereabouts. Yes, ma'am, I will let him know you called." Without any attempt at a polite farewell, Croquet hung up the phone. "Your mother."

"She wanted the usual, I suppose," Pegasus muttered. "She's throwing a little soirée and wants me to attend? It's been... What? Seven years now since I've bothered speaking with her? You'd think she'd have taken a hint by now."

Pegasus had not been on speaking terms with his mother ever since she'd allowed a filthy tabloid reporter into Cecilia's funeral. What should have been a quiet moment of grief had been plastered all over the gossip rags. The man had earned a Pulitzer for the picture, and a broken nose from Croquet. Disgusted by his mother's "it's just a bit of publicity" attitude, Pegasus had split from the rest of his family. Much to his surprise, Croquet had chosen to follow. That sort of loyalty couldn't be bought.

"Some people do seem to have a hard time letting things go," Croquet, murmured, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly, as though he were trying to hold back a smile.

"Why, Croquet!" Pegasus gasped. "Did you just make a joke? Now, it wasn't a very good joke, mind you, but any joke that passes from your lips is deserving of celebration!" He drained his glass and held it out for a refill. The glass was never half empty or half full with Pegasus - not so long as there was a bottle of wine around, at any rate.

The wine didn't do anything for Pegasus's current problem, however. He was still bored. Sure, he could drink enough to forget about his boredom, but when he sobered up again, he'd be bored and hung-over. Pegasus really hadn't had any excitement in his life since he'd smuggled the Kaiba brothers into Germany over the summer. And even then, his part in their little mission had only been to provide money and transportation.

"Croquet, be a dear and go set up the virtual reality equipment." If he couldn't have real adventure and excitement in his life, then Pegasus could at least have some pretend adventure. Pegasus hadn't played much of Age of Heroes - RPGs generally weren't his style. But even he had to admit that the game was rather charming, and it made for an excellent distraction when bored.

Finishing off his wine, Pegasus rose and made his way to the basement where he kept the virtual reality equipment. In his mind, the machinery was bulky and ugly, clashing dreadfully with the decor. And so, it was kept tucked away out of sight. Pegasus paused in the doorway to listen to the soft electronic hum of the equipment as it warmed up under Croquet's ministrations. "Everything is ready, Master Pegasus," Croquet announced after a few minutes.

Pegasus lay down in the virtual reality pod, a slight smirk touching his lips. Kaiba may claim not to believe in magic, but yet he'd been responsible for the creation of a machine that could do one of the things the Millennium Eye had been capable of - remove a person's consciousness from their body and place it in another form. Admittedly, in the case of the virtual reality equipment, that form was a form that did not exist in the real world. Still, Pegasus would have been surprised if there weren't a slight hint of magic at work.

Once his consciousness was transferred from his body to the game's login screen, Pegasus entered the requested information. He entered his screen name, "Artist-boy," and his password, "Cecilia." He chose his only character from the selection screen, and then he was in the game.

Pegasus had to admit that he rather enjoyed the game form he had created for himself. He'd modeled it after the way he'd looked before he'd had the Millennium Eye jammed into his face. His platinum hair fell around his shoulders, and he stared out at the world through an unmarred face. In the game world, at least, Pegasus was able to appear as beautiful as he'd once been.

Only a week had passed since Pegasus had last been in the game, but in that week, he could tell that something had changed. Lilyvale, a town that should have been brimming with holiday cheer, seemed to be under a grim pall. NPCs glared nervously as they went about their business, and the weapon shop seemed to be engaging in more business than usual.

Frowning, Pegasus began making his way towards Dame Chat's house at the edge of town. He had no interest in the town gossip and her scripted responses, however. He wanted to find out what was going on from the creatures that had claimed her house as their own. As he strolled through the town, Pegasus noted many of the players wore colored bands upon their arms. "Team colors?" he murmured to himself, more than slightly intrigued. By the time he reached Dame Chat's home, Pegasus had counted four different colored bands - red, blue, white, and brown.

Dame Chat's home was an inconspicuous little cottage at the edge of town. Shuttered windows, a flower garden, and a rocking chair on the porch helped to augment the building's innocent air. Occasionally the home's owner, a gossipy old woman, could sometimes be found napping in the rocking chair. More often, though, she was in the market, sharing juicy tidbits of information with anyone who would listen. Only a small handful of people knew that Dame Chat's cottage housed two Vampire Lords and a sphinx.

Pegasus pushed open the door to the cottage and was instantly hit with a wall of heat. "Shut the door! Shut the door! It's cold!" Pegasus recognized the voice as belonging to one of the Vampire Lords - the one who had been modeled after, and given the name of, the Atlantean king, Dartz. Quickly Pegasus complied and shut the door. One did not argue with a creature capable of ripping out throats in one bite, no matter how sweet it generally behaved.

Dartz lay in front of the fireplace, bundled up under what looked like every blanket in the house, despite the roaring fire. He turned his head to watch Pegasus, a fangy grin breaking across his face. "Pegasus Knight, welcome! Would you like a quilt?" The vampire's nose wrinkled up distastefully. "It is too cold out. I don't like it. Next time you speak with Seto Knight, could you tell him to make the cold go away?"

"I'll try," Pegasus promised, chuckling a little as he sat down beside Dartz. "He never listens to me, though. In fact, he'd probably make it colder just to spite me." Dartz shuddered at the thought of colder temperatures, hunkering down into his blankets. Idly, Pegasus glanced around, but it looked like only he and Dartz were in the cottage. "So where have you chased everyone off to, dear boy?"

The blankets shifted slightly as the vampire shrugged. "Weevil Mage came, and the fur ball went with him to make kissy faces." Dartz paused a moment to giggle. "They think I don't know, but I do. I've followed them. They don't have to go off and hide. My Pegasus and I don't hide."

Pegasus smiled at the way Dartz distinguished the other Vampire Lord from himself. In Dartz's mind, there was "Pegasus Knight" and "his Pegasus." "I told them to bring back more firewood while they were out," Dartz murmured, stretching out lazily across Pegasus's lap. "My Pegasus is out looking for information. He thinks there's going to be war."

Thinking of the players wearing armbands, Pegasus asked, "A four-sided war?"

Dartz bobbed his head up and down. "Four sides, yes. The new places are recruiting people. I heard the new places had items stolen, and they're each blaming the other. The Floating City blames the Buried City, and the Buried City blames the Floating City. The Sunken City blames the Burning City-"

"And the Burning City blames the Sunken City," Pegasus finished with a sigh.

Dartz nodded again, the playful innocence fading from his expression. Even he understood that the possibility of war was a serious business. "Player killing is happening," he sighed. "The cities are closing their gates to all but those allied with them and those remaining neutral. This is very bad. My Pegasus wants to find the thief. He doesn't think it's anyone from the cities."

"Did the items disappear at the same time?" Again Dartz nodded, grabbing hold of Pegasus's wrist and nuzzling at it. Pegasus permitted the action because he knew there was nothing behind it. The Vampire Lords were simply sensual creatures with no concept of personal space. "Then your Pegasus is probably right."

"My Pegasus is always right," Dartz declared fervently.

Now that he was caught up on the latest game intrigues, Pegasus decided a change of subject was in order. "Well, can this Pegasus talk you into hunting with him?" Dartz frowned, the very thought of going outside making him shiver. "I'll let you have a taste of me," Pegasus wheedled. Having a creature like Dartz backing him up would greatly decrease his chances of getting killed. Game death, while not permanent, was quite a nuisance when trying to gain levels.

Dartz's gaze began flicking back and forth between the door and Pegasus's wrist as hunger warred with the desire to stay warm. Pegasus wriggled the hand still in the vampire's grasp like a small, wounded, tempting animal. "Hate you," Dartz growled before sinking his teeth into Pegasus's wrist.

"You're not the only one, dear boy," Pegasus chuckled. "There's probably a fair-sized club of Pegasus-haters out there." The vampire growled again in response, sounding for all the world like a dog worrying at a bone. "Easy, easy. You don't want me to expire, do you?"

When he finished with his snack, Dartz rose and dashed up the stairs to the house's single bedroom. Pegasus used a health potion while the vampire was gone. The tooth marks were already fading from view, he noted. The nice thing about the virtual world was that injuries seldom lasted long. Pegasus had only a short wait before the bedroom door burst open again and Dartz came bounding back down, bundled up in several layers of clothes, gloves, a heavy cloak, and several scarves wrapped around his head like a turban.

Pegasus laughed in sheer delight at the sight. "Dear boy, I do believe you are the very height of fashion!" Dartz pulled down the scarf covering his face to stick his tongue out at Pegasus. It didn't escape Pegasus's attention that Dartz still maintained his natural grace even when so thoroughly ensconced.

Vampire and knight player made their way out into the forest. It took every shred of Pegasus's willpower to keep from laughing as Dartz paused with every step to shake snow off his boots. The vampire showed all the enthusiasm of a drenched cat. In an attempt to cheer Dartz up, Pegasus began singing Christmas carols. The attempt seemed to work as Dartz eased off on the disgusted cavorting. In fact, a couple of times, Pegasus almost thought he heard the vampire trying to hum along.

The two never saw the attack coming until Pegasus was pelted in the side of the head with a snowball. A second snowball pegged Dartz in the back of the head. Pegasus froze in place, wondering why he hadn't thought of starting a snowball fight in the first place. Dartz, meanwhile, lunged into action - dashing after a cloaked figure. His outraged roar over the sneak attack reverberated through the trees. "Ah," Pegasus murmured in realization. "That's why."

Seeing as how Dartz seemed to have everything in hand, Pegasus watched the chase. The cloaked figure weaved through the trees in a desperate attempt to escape the vampire. Dartz, however, had inhuman speed and agility on his side. It really was no contest, Pegasus decided as the vampire managed to leap ahead of the figure. Dartz ended up sliding on a patch of ice, however, barely managing to avoid crashing into a tree. The stranger altered course with only minimal slippage, this time heading straight for Pegasus.

"Oh, no!" Pegasus called out. "Don't think I'm going to save you! I know better than to tangle with angry vampires!" But it was too late. The stranger threw her arms around Pegasus's neck, burying her face against his chest. Oh, she was very definitely a she, Pegasus realized as her body pressed against his - a true damsel in distress.

Admittedly the distress was of the damsel's own making, but Pegasus supposed that was no reason to throw her to the wolves, or vampires, as the case may be. He figured that this was especially the case when the vampire in question was currently charging towards them both with a look of sheer bloodlust on his face. "That will be quite enough, dear boy." Pegasus's voice was so calm and steady that the casual observer would think that he had angry vampires heading straight for him on a daily basis. He only wished that he felt as confident as he sounded.

Much to Pegasus's surprise, the vampire actually halted his charge. "Shouldn't let her get away with attacking," Dartz muttered sulkily. "It'll only encourage her to do it again."

Feeling the woman trembling against his body, Pegasus had his doubts about whether she would attempt to snowball a vampire again. "It's alright, Miss," Pegasus murmured soothingly.

"Ophelia," the girl murmured in a voice so hauntingly familiar that Pegasus's breath caught in his throat. "My name is Ophelia, good Sir Knight." Slowly she tilted her face up to Pegasus - a face Pegasus knew far better than his own, having painted it more times than he could remember.

Pegasus let out a horrified gasp, torn between the desire to shove the virtual construct away and to hold it close in the hope that his Cecilia had returned to him. Slowly, Pegasus released the young woman and turned his back on her. All color had fled from his face. This couldn't be happening! Kaiba wasn't cruel enough to pull a stunt like this. Was he?


	3. Coming Up Roses

**Access Denied**

**Coming Up Roses**

Siegfried frowned as Pegasus released him. He'd expected shock from Pegasus, but not this sudden pushing away. Even as Siegfried watched, Pegasus's shoulders began to shake with quiet sobs. "Sir Knight?" Siegfried murmured, sliding around so that he was face to face with Pegasus. Gently he reached out to wipe at the tears falling down Pegasus's cheeks.

"Your hands are cold," Pegasus murmured. Siegfried tilted his head to the side and smiled at that simple observation. Sometimes focusing on the small details could help the illusion of reality, and that illusion, Siegfried knew, was what Pegasus wanted deep in his heart. He wanted to believe that the form Siegfried wore was his wife returned to him, and that would make Siegfried's plan easier to follow through on.

Pegasus took hold of Siegfried's hands and stared searchingly into his face. Siegfried returned the stare, keeping his expression as guileless as possible. "It is cold out, Sir Knight, and I am not wearing gloves." Pegasus drew his hands away and pulled off his gloves, which he held out to Siegfried. "You are too kind, Sir Knight. My hands thank you."

"Pegasus, dear lady," Siegfried was told. "That is my name."

"Sir Pegasus," Siegfried murmured. "You have the eternal gratitude of my chilly fingers." Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the vampire still sulking. Let the creature pout; Siegfried had what he set out to accomplish. He'd gotten Pegasus's attention, and given the man a chance to play hero.

For a moment, a faint smile broke through the fear and need playing across Pegasus's face. Deciding to press his luck further, Siegfried stood on tiptoe and planted a delicate kiss on Pegasus's cheek. He was rewarded with the sight of a blushing knight.

"If you two are going to make kissy faces, then I'm going home!" Dartz announced. "Come or not - it's up to you. But it seems like kissy faces would be more enjoyable someplace warm." Without another word, the vampire began to stomp his way back through the snow.

In a chivalrous gesture, Pegasus offered Siegfried his arm. Though Dame Chat's home was the last place he wanted to be, Siegfried rested his hands lightly on Pegasus's arm. He hoped this visit to the house would be less taxing than his first time there. Hopefully Pegasus would keep the vampires in line.

After several steps, Siegfried found himself leaning against Pegasus for support. His feet felt like twin blocks of ice. He tried to keep Pegasus from noticing, but Pegasus was watching him so closely that it proved to be an exercise in futility. "Lady Ophelia, what is wrong?"

Sighing, Siegfried poked a foot out from beneath his gown to reveal a dainty slipper soaked through. "Tsking" softly as he realized the problem, Pegasus wrapped Siegfried's arms around his neck and picked him up to carry him "new bride" style through the forest.

Even though it did no harm for his act, Siegfried did not enjoy playing the part of the helpless damsel. He wanted to seem at least somewhat capable. Sighing, he buried his face against Pegasus's chest to keep the other man from seeing him scowling. No pants, no weapons, not even a proper pair of snow boots - this form truly was helpless.

Siegfried and Pegasus weren't even halfway back to the cottage when a group of five players stepped out of the trees. Siegfried frowned as he saw the players had weapons drawn - flaming weapons. An assortment of mages and fighters glared at the two. "A Neutral and an NPC," one of the fighters spat. "Too chicken to pick a side, huh?"

Pegasus eased Siegfried to the ground and drew his sword. He held the weapon with the ease of one who was familiar with such things, a reminder that not all duels were fought with cards. "I fight for whichever side I deem to be in the right, and if the Burning City accepts such ruffians as yourselves, then perhaps they are not as in the right as they might think."

Quietly Siegfried began to run through the commands to bring up information on the surrounding players, worrying as he saw they all had at least five levels on Pegasus. Still, being in the game as he was gave Pegasus freedom from preprogrammed moves. Skill should be able to overcome power.

The leader - an over-muscled barbarian with the screen name "Dino King" - lunged for Pegasus. Pegasus shoved Siegfried to the side, taking the first strike in the abdomen. As Pegasus's health meter dropped alarmingly, he merely smiled. "You truly are an honorless little thug, aren't you?" And then Pegasus was in motion, his blade dancing a deadly circle of silver. Slowly Dino King's health meter lowered while Pegasus remained untouched.

When it seemed as though one more hit would finish off the player, Pegasus halted, his sword still poised to strike. Three of the rest of the group began circling around Pegasus; the other threatened Siegfried with his weapon. "Call them off, dear boy, or you'll soon have other things to worry about - such as vampires."

Dino King began to laugh. "What kind of fool do you take me for? There are no vampires in Sher Woods, and even if there were, it's daytime."

A bestial roar began to echo among the trees. Dartz dropped down behind the player that had Siegfried cornered. The player fell to the vampire's sword in just a few quick strikes. Meanwhile a blur of golden fur and feathers launched itself into the players surrounding Pegasus. Once the excess players were eliminated, Dartz crept over to Dino King, his face illuminated in a hungry leer. "After that work-out, you will be a fitting treat."

"What work-out?" the other creature snorted. "I fought more in that bout. One did fall to thy claws, while three fell to these mighty paws."

Dartz growled in annoyance at the sphinx. "But I had to find you and lead you back here! That took more work, so I deserve to finish him off!"

The sphinx laughed softly, amused by the vampire's arguments. "I see. So he is to be for thee a finder's fee? How silly!"

While the beasts argued over who would get the final kill, Siegfried watched the prisoner. "Don't. Please don't..." Dino King murmured pleadingly to Pegasus, his breath coming in quick, panicked gasps. "Don't turn me over to Dartz! I don't want to lose my soul again!"

"Aw! I missed the fight!" A new player joined the motley assembly, trooping out of the trees with a magic staff at the ready. He cut quite a dashing figure as his magician's robes billowed around lean body, but Siegfried had seen this mage in real life and knew that he was nowhere near as magnificent as he'd made himself in the game.

With a delighted laugh, the sphinx bounded through the snow to the wizard. "Oh, Weevil Mage! I was all the rage! To me the enemies fell! I fought so well!"

Weevil threw his arms around the beast, kissing her soundly. "I'm sure you were the best fighter here, Kitten," he murmured, running his fingers through the sphinx's hair. The fierce sphinx began giggling like a love struck teenager. Siegfried wanted to gag at the sappy sight

"Weevil?" Dino King's gaze turned to the mage; hope stirring faintly in his voice. "Weevil, it's Rex! Hey, be a pal and call these weirdos off!"

Weevil pretended not to hear, though Siegfried couldn't help but notice the satisfied smirk on the boy's face. He enjoyed having his friendly rival at his mercy. "So, Pegasus, who's the hottie?" As soon as the words were out of Weevil's mouth, the sphinx sank her teeth into his shoulder. "Ow! Kitten!" Weevil yelped.

"Thine eye did start to rove. I can't have that, love." If the sphinx managed to look any more innocent, Siegfried decided, then a halo would be flashing over her head. Weevil began to stammer apologies to the love of his young life, but she silenced him with a kiss. "Introduce us to your friend, else Dartz might give him an end."

"Yes, Kitten," Weevil murmured, giving the creature's neck a quick nuzzle. The boy ran through the introduction quickly, emphasizing to his friend that yes he had just attempted to player kill the real Pegasus, and no this Dartz was not going to feed his soul to an ancient beast intent on world destruction.

Weevil paused in his introductions as he reached Siegfried. "I am Princess Ophelia," Siegfried murmured, executing a perfect curtsy. He noticed Pegasus raise an appreciative eyebrow. Of course such a beautiful lady would be more than mere nobility. "Sir Pegasus rescued me from the gaping maw of the Vampire Lord."

Siegfried hoped he wasn't laying it on too thick, but his worries were set at ease as Pegasus put away his sword and swept him off his feet. "You never mentioned you were royalty." Pegasus's whisper tickled at Siegfried's ear, setting him off in a ladylike titter of amusement. He hoped that laugh wouldn't follow him back into the real world. Siegfried greatly preferred his manly chuckle.

"You never asked," Siegfried countered.

"A valid point, my lady. Though one hardly expects to find princesses throwing snowballs at vampires."

Being a naturally vain man, Siegfried rarely gave thought to the appearances of others. So long as he was at his most beautiful, what did everyone else matter? Yet being nestled in Pegasus's arms, it was hard not to make a study of the man's face.

Siegfried decided that Pegasus's eyes were his best feature, at least in this incarnation. They didn't exude sex appeal - Pegasus wasn't a hero in one of those silly bodice-ripper romance novels that Siegfried's mother was so fond of, after all. No, Pegasus's eyes were merely pretty, but filled with amusement and intelligence. They were the right shade of brown to remind Siegfried of warm cocoa on a cold day.

Idly, Siegfried wondered if the eyes of Pegasus's game avatar matched the eyes of the real Pegasus. Of course, Siegfried had heard the rumors that Pegasus was horribly disfigured, and that was why he only ever showed half his face. But the man was quite eccentric, and Siegfried felt that the way Pegasus wore his hair was simply one of his many odd little quirks. No one who had spent as much time in the limelight as Maximillian Pegasus would be able to hide such a deformity for long.

Perhaps one day soon, though, Siegfried would know for certain what Pegasus was hiding. Siegfried shut his eyes and smiled, his thoughts drifting to daydreams of a merger between Schroeder Corp and Industrial Illusions. He could see himself and Pegasus standing before a crowd of reports and shaking hands as the announcement was made to the world, with poor Kaiba drifting unnoticed at the edge of the crowd. Such a wondrous day that would be!

"You have a lovely smile, Princess." Pegasus's words jerked Siegfried out of his daydream. Siegfried allowed a faint blush to color his cheeks. Blushing on command was a skill he had mastered easily. All one had to do was create an appropriate mental image. Few things could make Siegfried blush, but humiliation was one of those things, and he briefly allowed his mind to conjure up a world of scornful laughter if his little escapade were discovered. Yet, he kept that smile Pegasus admired fixed firmly on his face; a dainty blush and a smile were perfect for creating the illusion of being enamored.

As Dame Chat's home came into view, Pegasus paused and turned towards the fool child that had tried to kill him earlier. "Rexy-boy, be a dear and toddle off into town to get the princess something to wear that's more appropriate for the weather." The pleasant smile fell from Siegfried's face as he realized that Pegasus was going to send this little peasant to pick out Siegfried's clothing. What was the man thinking? The boy obviously had no fashion sense. Just look at him! He was bundled in animal skins like a filthy barbarian! As if reading Siegfried's mind, Pegasus added, "And do make sure you pick out something nice, or else I'll be even more put out with you."

The boy began to sputter indignantly. "Me? Why do I have to go shopping for the girly stuff? Make someone else do it!"

"Because you annoyed me with that whole player killing nonsense," was Pegasus's simple reply. "This is part of your penance. If you don't do it, I'm sure my friends here would be delighted to hunt you down whenever you're logged in the game." To emphasize Pegasus's point, both Dartz and the sphinx began to growl menacingly. "So, what will it be, Rexy-boy?"

"Geez! I'm going, I'm going!" Muttering imprecations under his breath against monsters, multi-billionaires, and stupid princesses, Rex altered course towards the town. Siegfried hoped that the boy would find something for him in lavender, for that was his favorite color. But Siegfried highly doubted that he would be that lucky.

As the group entered into the house, the beautiful, blessed warmth was the first thing Siegfried noticed. Siegfried sent out a silent prayer of thanks to the gods of flame for the fire crackling merrily away in the fireplace. He watched with faint amusement as the monsters began puttering around with domestic tasks.

The sphinx strode purposefully into the kitchen, and soon Siegfried heard the telltale rattling around of dishes that told him tea was being prepared. In a home where two of the three inhabitants lived on a diet of blood, it seemed logical that the kitchen would fall under the dominion of the creature that most likely preferred a bit of variety in her diet. The familiar clattering reminded Siegfried of the days when his father would be in a rage over something or other, and Siegfried would take a book and hide out in the kitchens. He'd learned to love the noise and the smells, though he'd never learned to cook. Such menial tasks had always been beneath him.

While the sphinx took over the kitchen, Dartz and Weevil began moving the couch closer to the fire. Once they were satisfied with the couch's position, they motioned for Pegasus and his royal burden to sit. Pegasus did so, and Dartz began helping Siegfried out of his cloak, which was soon hanging by the fireplace to dry out. The slippers soon followed suit. Dartz even parted with a blanket from a pile of the things before burying himself under the rest.

With a contented sigh, Siegfried nestled against Pegasus. Though it was only mid-afternoon in the game, evening was fast approaching for Siegfried in the real world. He managed to stay awake long enough to enjoy a mug of hot herbal tea. Afterwards, though, the day's exertions combined with the comfortable warmth began to take its toll as Siegfried's eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

Siegfried certainly hadn't meant to fall asleep, but he realized that's what he'd done as the crack of a log splitting in the fire jerked him awake. For one disoriented moment, Siegfried wasn't sure where he was, but as his eyes settled on Pegasus everything came back to him. Upon realizing that his "princess" was awake, Pegasus averted his gaze, a guilty flush reddening his cheeks. That was all it took for Siegfried to realize that Pegasus had been watching him the entire time that he'd been asleep. Siegfried felt himself blushing as well, and not on purpose this time. There was something flattering in that kind of attention.

Slowly, Siegfried sat up and began taking stock of his surroundings. Through the window, he could see that full dark had settled upon the game world. Dartz had gone, presumably to hunt. Weevil had also left. Only Pegasus and the sphinx remained with Siegfried. The monster pointed to a pile of clothing. "Rex brought thee these. Now thou should stay warm with ease."

Reluctantly, Siegfried rose from the couch and began gathering up the clothes. As he recalled the difficulties he'd had getting out of the dress at the castle, Siegfried decided maybe a bit of assistance would be in order. "Kitten?" he asked hesitantly. He hadn't remembered the beast having a name, yet he'd distinctly heard Weevil address her as such.

Much to Siegfried's surprise, the beast began to laugh. "Only Weevil Mage calls me thus. 'Sphinx' will do if name me thou must."

"Sphinx," Siegfried murmured to correct himself. "Might I ask your assistance?" Of the three self-aware creatures, the sphinx was the one he felt was the most intelligent. Her speech might be archaic and programmed to rhyme, but her mind was as agile as a squirrel bounding among tree limbs.

The sphinx rose to her feet, stretching before beginning to ascend the staircase to the cottage's single bedroom. "Follow, Princess, and I shall help you dress." Siegfried did as the beast bade, marveling at how easily she maneuvered her bulky through the cottage's relatively small space.

Once the door was closed, the sphinx began picking at the lacings on Siegfried's dress. As she worked, she kept a close eye on Siegfried, a faint smirk touching her lips as though she kept an amusing secret. When at last she pulled the dress off, she broke her silence; her words almost sent Siegfried into a panic. "Thou art like us; a lucky thing for Sir Pegasus. Take care, for he has been hurt deep, though I know not what secrets his heart does keep."

"I... I don't know what you're talking about!" Siegfried insisted, unable to bring himself to meet the monster's gaze. He'd underestimated the creature, and though she thought he was a game character, the sphinx had edged a little too close to the truth for comfort.

"Oh, that is rot!" the sphinx scolded mildly as she began helping Siegfried into the clothes Rex had brought. "But tell your secrets I will not. Thy secret is thine, not mine. Just know there are others. Thou hast a sister and brothers."

"I'm not like you," Siegfried muttered stubbornly, being honest for once even though the beast would never believe him. The sphinx did not bother trying to correct Siegfried again. She merely chuckled to herself as though he were nothing more than a child whose hand had been caught in the cookie jar.

As soon as he was dressed, Siegfried wasted no time in escaping the confines of the room. Pegasus rose from the couch as Siegfried came into view, his expression filled with a pure adoration usually reserved for visions of heavenly hosts. "I must be away, Sir Pegasus," Siegfried stammered quickly, wanting to get away from the prying eyes of the sphinx. "The palace is probably in an uproar."

"Will I see you again?" Pegasus asked, and for a moment Siegfried almost smiled. He'd never thought of the great Maximillian Pegasus sounding like a character from a cheesy romance movie until that moment.

Siegfried stood on tiptoe and lightly kissed Pegasus's cheek in what he hoped was a chaste, princessly sort of kiss. "Tomorrow, Sir Pegasus. I will try to return here so that we may take lunch together."

Once their farewells were said and Siegfried felt he was a safe enough distance from the cottage, he logged out of the game, leaving the princess to find her own way home. He made his way out of his computer room to his private bath chamber, where he began drawing a bath for himself. Normally, Siegfried would have had a servant take care of this menial task, but tonight was not a normal night. Tonight, Siegfried wanted to be alone with his thoughts.

Once the pool-sized bath was filled, Siegfried stripped and slid into the water. In his mind's eye, he could still see Pegasus watching him with a look of total longing. And for the first time since he'd come up with this plan to get close to Pegasus, Siegfried began to have his doubts. Being in business meant being ruthless, but were there some areas that should remain taboo? Was he crossing into those areas? Did his actions make him a monster, or could he spin the situation somehow to seem the saint?

How badly was Pegasus going to end up hurt?

It was that last thought that bothered Siegfried the most, oddly enough. Now that he had begun this little foray into Pegasus's heart, he could see no way to keep from hurting the man. Siegfried could not play the part of Ophelia forever, yet if she just disappeared or was reverted back to her original file configuration, Pegasus would be losing his love a second time.

The jangling of the phone jarred Siegfried from his reveries. The phone was kept near the bath because sometimes Siegfried conducted conference calls while he enjoyed a leisurely soak. "Ja?" Siegfried answered.

"Siegfried, you stupid shit! What the hell are you playing at now?" the voice at the other end of the line bellowed.

"And a good evening to you as well, Herr Kaiba," Siegfried responded mildly.


	4. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

**Access Denied**

**Let Sleeping Dogs Lie**

Seto Kaiba rarely left work early. Every once in a while he would surprise Mokuba and Joey by strolling through the door an hour before he was generally expected. On an even rarer occasion, he would even take an entire day off. This was not one of those nights.

Instead, this was a night where Seto felt like it would be dawn before he would be able to leave. At least he wasn't alone. Stealing a quick glance at the couch, Seto smiled at the sight of Joey snoring away. At least one of them was going to get some sleep tonight.

That couch... Seto's office had never had a couch until Joey came into his life, nor would it ever have had one if not for Joey. Though it was amusing now, the whole incident had been one of their first big fights, or so Seto had thought. "The Great Couch War" Joey called it whenever the subject came up. Seto merely chose to refer to it as "that stupid fight about the stupid couch."

It had all started simply enough. Joey would come to keep Seto company on the nights he worked late, and would end up falling asleep. When he woke up, he always complained about being sore from sleeping in the chairs Seto had in his office - chairs that Seto had specifically picked out because they were uncomfortable. Seto never wanted to give anyone a reason to stay in his office longer than they absolutely had to.

And then came the day Joey declared that Seto needed a couch in his office.

"No," Seto had simply insisted. His office was just fine the way it was. He didn't need to go cluttering up the place with furniture. Nor was he going to let Joey change every aspect of his life. Some things needed to remain inviolate, and Seto's office was one of those things. Joey hadn't seen it that way, however, and had ended up storming out of the office, leaving Seto alone.

It had been an idiotic thing to fight over, but once the gauntlet had been thrown, Seto couldn't bring himself to back down. And in this fight, Seto found himself surprised by Joey's tactics. Rather than carrying on like a bull in a china shop, Joey dropped the subject entirely. Instead, he merely stopped coming to the office when Seto was working late, and when Seto came home; Joey was already sleeping soundly in bed.

After allowing this foolishness to go on for days, Seto finally decided to swallow his pride just a little. Adding one piece of furniture to his perfect office wouldn't be the end of the world. So on the ride to school, Seto broached the subject. "Do you really want a couch that badly?"

"Huh?" came Joey's extremely lucid answer.

Seto had sighed and stared off straight ahead. He hated giving in. "Look, I'm tired of fighting about it, so if you want a couch in my office, we'll go get one. Just don't expect me to redecorate for all of your little whims."

"Whoa! Back it up!" Joey had said, turning Seto to face him. "When were we fighting? I mean, we had that spat a couple weeks back, but we haven't even brought it up since. You said no, and I figured that was that."

"Then why haven't you been coming to the office?" Seto snarled, trying to retain his patented glare even as he realized that the worst part of the fight had all been in his head.

Joey merely shrugged. "Because I always fall asleep when I wait on you to finish up. And I get this god-awful crick in my neck sleeping on those chairs of yours. I told you that before. Or did your ears turn off after I said you need a couch?"

Seto chuckled to himself at the memories. The "couch war" had been a perfect illustration of so much of their life - minor spats and irritations getting blown out of proportion, only to realize that somewhere along the way the lines of communication had simply gone down for a moment. Things always had a habit of working out, though, once they'd had enough cool down time. Joey, for instance, had picked out the couch; under the condition that Seto could reupholster it to match his decor. The result was a sleek, black leather piece of furniture that, according to Joey, "was the most comfortable damn thing you ever sat your ass upon."

The funny thing was that Seto agreed, though the only time he ever "sat his ass" on the couch was when he and Joey were feeling, for lack of a better term, frisky. Their fights really weren't so bad anymore. Where once they'd both just as soon have strangled each other, now they just growled insults, and even then there was a hint of camaraderie that hadn't been there before. Oh, and the making up... Seto didn't know about Joey, but sometimes he would start a fight simply so that they could make up. Joey was always especially frisky then.

Still smiling over the past - something Seto rarely did since there wasn't much to smile about - Seto buckled down to look over another financial spreadsheet. He almost missed noticing that the voice mail light on his phone was on, and that earned a frown as he tried to figure out who was calling at this hour. Certainly not Joey, who was still snoring softly just a few short feet away. Nor was it Mokuba, who would have just dialed Seto's cell phone directly.

Once the light went out, indicating the caller had left his message and hung up, Seto picked up the phone. He didn't really care who the caller was, but he was curious. And so he entered his security code and began to play his messages. "Kaiba-boy!" an all-too-familiar voice chirped from the earpiece. "I know you're there. You're always at the office. But if you want to screen your calls, that's fine with me. I suppose I can talk to your dear, sweet voicemail box. At least I won't have to worry about any of your nasty insults. It will be quite a refreshing change of pace."

Seto resisted the urge to delete the rest of the message and slam the phone down. "Now really, Kaiba-boy," Pegasus's recorded voice continued. "You've surprised me, dear boy. Quite a feat, that. I honestly don't know whether or not to thank you or scream at you. But..."

With that simple "but," something in Pegasus's voice changed. Instead of sounding slightly buzzed from whatever he'd been drinking before the call, or even sounding amused at the world in general, Seto heard a note of sadness creep into his voice - a tone that had always seemed foreign to Pegasus before. "She's perfect, Kaiba-boy. Really, she is. I guess 'thank you' really is what I want to say. So, thank you for the princess. Thank you."

Seto stared at the phone as the message ended. What the hell was that madman raving about now? Seto had never done anything for Pegasus that didn't serve himself first. He'd certainly never done anything to deserve a heartfelt "thank you" from the man. And this talk of a princess? Pegasus must be hitting something harder than wine these days. The only place outside of his twisted imagination that Pegasus was likely to find a princess was Age of Heroes.

Seto growled to himself, knowing that Pegasus's little mystery message was going to gnaw at him until he figured it out. And no, he wasn't about to call the man back - especially not over something like this. Since he didn't need anything to make his night longer, Seto figured someone else could do the investigative work. Smirking, he tossed a bottle of correction fluid at Joey's head. The small effort was rewarded with a brief yelp of pain as Joey sat up. "You bastard!" Joey growled, rubbing his head as he glowered at Seto.

"Save it, you second rate duelist."

"Get some new insults, Seto," Joey grouched, but Seto couldn't help but notice his grin. Once upon a time, if Seto had chucked a bottle of white out at Joey's head, things would have ended in more than insults. Joey would have tried to pound Seto into the ground. Not that he would have succeeded, of course. If Seto knew Joey was coming, he could take him in a fight any day of the week. Though if Joey launched a sneak attack, the outcome of the fight would be in jeopardy. Street-fighting versus martial arts - both styles had their strengths and weaknesses, especially when pitted against each other.

"I told you to can it," Seto ordered. "I've got a project for you, unless you want me to do it and have us both here all night." Quickly Joey shook his head, earning a smirk from Seto. "Good. Then get out my laptop and start comparing the design sketches of the princesses in Age of Heroes to the game sprites that are already loaded. Then let me know if there are any anomalies."

Ever since that nasty little incident with Siegfried over the summer, all of Seto's designers uploaded their concept drawings to the Kaiba Corp network servers, so even Joey could get to the preliminary designs. All he had to do was go to the right network folder. Seto took a few minutes to show Joey how to access the game character files. Once he was sure Joey could handle the task without assistance, he murmured a soft, "Good pup. You'll get a treat when we get home."

"Not if I end up falling back to sleep," Joey grumbled as he set to work. Seto bit his tongue to keep from pointing out that Joey had already slept more this evening than he had. If anyone needed a nap right now, it was Seto. But there was too much to do, and not enough hours in the day.

An hour ticked away in near silence between the two boys, the only noise in the office being the clatter of fingers across computer keys and the whir of the air conditioning. "Holy shit!" Seto's head whipped around to stare at Joey, who only had eyes for the laptop monitor. When at last he turned towards Seto, Joey grinned sheepishly. "I think I found what you're looking for."

"No!" Seto muttered mockingly. "And here I always thought you break out in random fits of swearing."

"Well, if you're going to be so rude, I'll just pull the plug and let you find it," Joey snapped back, fingering the cord to the AC adapter.

"Battery back-up," Seto said mildly, knowing that Joey wouldn't unplug the machine. Still, Seto moved to the couch to take a look at what Joey had discovered.

Once Seto was settled, Joey brought up a design sketch. "This, Daddy Warbucks, is the Princess Ophelia that your guys came up with." Seto frowned a little at the picture. The princess really wasn't his company's best work. According to the size reference, she was of medium height. Her thin blonde hair fell limply down to her waist. She had a straight, haughty nose and cruel eyes. Something about her demeanor screamed, "spoiled brat" to Seto.

"And this..." Joey waved his hand in the air in an exaggerated flourish before clicking on another file. "This is the Princess Ophelia that's in your game. Look familiar?" Seto stared at the screen, his frown deepening. The character did look familiar, but he couldn't quite place his finger on where he'd seen her before. Certainly this Ophelia was more beautiful than the original designs. Picking up on Seto's blank look, Joey sighed. "Here's a hint: Duelist Kingdom."

Seto shook his head, still not getting it. Mai Valentine, maybe? Certainly the woman bore at least a passing resemblance. Mai had rougher edges, though. This woman looked soft, coddled, and kind. "Come on, Seto!" Joey griped. "Didn't you pay any attention to the pretty pictures Pegasus had all over that place?"

"I had other things on my mind," Seto grumbled. Other things like rescuing his brother. Seto hadn't gone to Duelist Kingdom to sightsee.

Joey's finger stabbed out at the monitor, pointing to the princess. "That," he declared solemnly, "is Pegasus's dead wife. How the hell did she wind up in Age of Heroes?"

_"She's perfect, Kaiba-boy. Really, she is." _Seto's stomach took a quick plummet to his feet as he recalled Pegasus's words. He could think of only one person capable of hacking into the Kaiba Corp network to edit a character like this. That person had even done so before, leaving behind the two Vampire Lords that were physical doppelgangers of Pegasus and Dartz.

Seto slammed a fist down on the arm of the couch. He missed the satisfying thud he would've gotten if he'd been at his desk, but at least on the couch he could pound at it without hurting his hand. "That... That..." In his fury, Seto sputtered incoherently, unable to come up with a proper epithet fitting enough for the culprit. Joey, however, had no problem offering Seto a few choice suggestions to pick from, the most repeatable of which was, "slimy, ass-licking, pink snake in the grass."

In a single, fluid motion, Seto rose from the couch and went back to his desk. Sliding his finger through his Rolodex, Seto found the number he wanted and began dialing, his finger jabbing at the buttons like a knife going for his enemy's heart. The line rang once, twice. "Ja?" a soft, cultured voice answered.

Seto wasted no time with pleasantries as he roared into the phone. "Siegfried, you stupid shit! What the hell are you playing at now?"

"And a good evening to you as well, Herr Kaiba." Siegfried sounded completely unperturbed by Seto's unorthodox greeting. Seto wondered briefly whether that was because Siegfried had been expecting this call or because he was simply used to being greeted on the phone in such a manner. If he messed around with his other business partners the way that he did Seto, then the latter was quite possibly the case.

"Didn't you learn anything the first time you pulled this shit?" Seto growled, not about to let Siegfried attempt to distract him with small talk. Seto's voice had evened out a little, however. Joey had come up behind Seto and started rubbing his shoulders. There was something calming about a shoulder rub, even when Seto didn't want to be calm.

"Why, whatever do you mean?" Siegfried sounded so infuriatingly at ease that Seto wanted to reach through the phone and strangle the man. Still, Seto had calmed enough to notice that Siegfried hadn't denied anything. He'd merely answered a question with a question.

Of course, admitting to hacking into Age of Heroes would be stupid, and stupid Siegfried was not. Whatever Siegfried's game, Seto couldn't let him get away with it. Yet if he restored the princess's files, how would Pegasus react? As far as Pegasus knew, the princess had been a little gift from Kaiba Corp. If that little "toy" were taken away, Seto felt that Pegasus might just be childish enough to withdraw Industrial Illusions' ties to Seto's company. As much as Seto might dislike the man that was not an appealing thought. Duel Monsters was too important to the success of Seto's Duel Disks. A new thought occurred to Seto and he began to smile maliciously, seeing a way out of the corner Siegfried's tampering had backed him into. "Perhaps I was mistaken," he murmured sweetly to Siegfried before hanging up without a farewell.

Joey, having been expecting Seto to verbally rip Siegfried a new one, stared as though Seto had grown another head. "Who the hell are you and what have you done with Seto?"

"Relax," Seto murmured pulling Joey into his arms. "I just had a better idea. That's all." Joey still eyed Seto in disbelief. One moment Seto had looked ready to disembowel Siegfried, and now suddenly he was all right with the tampering. "Obviously, Siegfried is trying to get Pegasus's attention," Seto explained. "Why else design a character after someone so close to him? And Pegasus thinks that Kaiba Corp is the responsible party. What better way to drive Siegfried crazy than to take the credit for his hard work? We'll just monitor the princess to make sure our dear hacker friend hasn't done anything else to her."

Joey's eyes widened in comprehension, and he began to chuckle. "Not bad, Boss Monkey." Seto popped Joey over the head for that nickname. Some of Joey's name-calling might go right past Seto, but some he'd asked about. And learning that "Boss Monkey" had been what Joey called his old gang leader had left a sour taste in Seto's mouth when it was used in reference to him. Joey chose to grin and change the subject. "So, can I get you to give me any clues about which city would be the best to sign up with?"

Seto laughed and shook his head. "Now that wouldn't be fair to the other players. Though I do wish more people would stop fighting among themselves and at least try to find the stolen elemental rings. But everyone seems to be more interested in legalized player killing."

"Knew it was a bad idea," Joey grumbled. Of course, Joey had been griping about the player killing ever since getting caught in an ambush. Still, Seto felt that once the novelty wore off, players would concentrate more on the plot line. If they didn't, the designers had set up a few natural disasters designed to get everyone's attention. At least, that's what Seto hoped would happen. Somehow, he doubted it would work out that way, however. If Seto voiced his doubts, he knew Joey would tell him something along the lines that he needed to show a little more faith in the basic decency of humanity.

"Let's call it a night," Seto murmured. This business with Siegfried had killed any appetite for work that he'd had. "I'll give you your treat for a job well done when we get home." However, things rarely went as planned when Joey was involved. For instance, they only made it as far as the elevator before Joey began claiming his "treat." Oh, that wasn't a bad thing, Seto decided as he pushed the buttons for all the floors in the building to make sure that Joey had plenty of time to savor his reward. It just meant that they would be a little later getting home than planned.


	5. Roses Are Red, Obelisk Is Blue

**Access Denied**

**Roses Are Red, Obelisk Is Blue**

Siegfried hung up the phone and sank down into the tub, watching his hair float along the surface of the water. How odd that Kaiba changed his tone so quickly. Bah! Siegfried would figure his rival's motives out later. He had other things on his mind - namely, how to withdraw from this situation with Pegasus without destroying the man. It would be bad business relations to break the brain of the person he wanted to work with.

Unfortunately, the only way Siegfried could see out was to arrange for Pegasus to fall in love with someone else. Such a task fit in the "easier said than done" category. Siegfried's brows knitted together as he thought, putting his genius intellect to the task. Pegasus wouldn't fall in love with just any old person. It would take someone truly special, someone fantastically beautiful, someone utterly desirable - someone like himself!

Siegfried began to laugh at his own brilliance. Of course he could win Pegasus over with his natural charm; no one could resist Siegfried. Once he had Pegasus's attention, he could revert Ophelia's files to their original configuration and then let the man down gently. And, if anything, getting his foot in the door at Industrial Illusions would be even easier with Pegasus thoroughly enamored with him.

The plan would need to go into action immediately, though. The more time Pegasus spent around Ophelia, the harder it would be for Siegfried to win him over. If he left tonight, Siegfried could be on Pegasus's island by morning. Then he would merely have to distract the man from his lunch date with the princess.

For a moment, Siegfried wondered if he should change his behavior as Ophelia. No, he decided. If he suddenly started acting the part of the shrieking harpy, then Pegasus might become suspicious. Also, if Pegasus were with the princess at a time when Siegfried couldn't be in the game, she would follow her primary programming and seek out Pegasus's affections. Therefore, Siegfried was stuck acting the part of the love struck princess. The absurdity of competing with himself for Pegasus's attention didn't escape Siegfried's attention, but a lesser person would offer no challenge.

"You put me to so much trouble, Herr Pegasus," Siegfried murmured before starting to make calls to put everything in readiness. First he woke his pilot to get the jet prepared. "The lavender jet," he insisted, figuring that would make the best impression on Pegasus. With that bit of work out of the way, Siegfried dialed an in-house extension to rouse some of the maids to awaken Leon and begin packing.

Siegfried pretended not to notice how utterly grouchy his hired help sounded. He really couldn't understand why they should sound so put out. Siegfried, himself, was the one who was fixing to put his life on hold to spend an undetermined amount of time on Pegasus's island. All the servants had to do was lose a bit of beauty sleep to prepare Siegfried for this little jaunt. If anyone should be put out, Siegfried decided, it was he.

With a long-suffering sigh, Siegfried rose from his bath. He was accustomed to a maid standing ready with a robe, but tonight there were no attendants. Having little other choice - he would not be so uncouth as to put on the clothing he'd spent all day in - Siegfried tied a towel around his waist and padded out into the hallway towards his room.

When he arrived, Siegfried saw that one of his maids was already packing for him. He gave the woman a curt nod, noting the blush that crept up her cheeks at the sight of his beautiful body. Smirking slightly, Siegfried pushed past the woman to choose a suit from his wardrobe. He didn't look at the woman directly as he dressed, but he caught her reflection in his mirror as she tried unsuccessfully not to watch. "You're supposed to be packing," Siegfried murmured in slight rebuke. The maid's cheeks flushed crimson as she quickly turned her attention back to the luggage.

There was a soft knock at the door. "Siegfried?" Leon pushed his way into the room, eyeing his brother with a tired, but wary, expression. "What's going on?"

"Hey diddle diddle, the cat and the fiddle," Siegfried practically sang out to set Leon's mind at ease. "We are going on a little trip! Warmer climes beckon, my brother! We're going to combine a bit of business and pleasure. But we absolutely must leave tonight!" Carefully adjusting the ruffled cuffs of his shirt, Siegfried turned to address the maid. "When you're finished packing, take all that out to the jet."

"Come, come, Leon," Siegfried laughed. He took hold of his brother's arm and began leading him through the hallways. When they reached Siegfried's office, Leon was put to work gathering files on various projects and packing them into a briefcase. While he took care of the paperwork, Siegfried chose several design prototypes to bring along, carefully wrapping each piece of equipment in bubble-wrap and placing it in a box. "One more stop and then we can be off!"

"What are you scheming?" Leon asked as he tried to keep up with his brother's ground eating pace.

Siegfried paused to catch his breath, wishing that his home office weren't so far away from the wine cellar. "Truthfully? I'm trying to get out of a spot of trouble, and get a new business connection out of the deal. I'll explain everything on the plane, but if you'd prefer not to help your own flesh and blood in his hour of need, then of course you may go back to bed."

Leon glowered at Siegfried, knowing full well that he was being manipulated. Siegfried was pulling at all the strings as he appealed to Leon's curiosity and sense of duty to both family and company. With a growl of acquiescence, Leon followed his brother into the wine cellar.

With Leon traveling in his wake, Siegfried browsed among the racks of wine bottles. The collection had mostly been the doing of Siegfried's father, but he wouldn't notice if any were missing. After having been driven mad in his quest to beat out Kaiba Corp, Siegfried's father was safely tucked away at a rather nice sanitarium in a happy, drug-induced haze. Knowing that he need not worry about filial approval and recalling that Pegasus had a taste for the reds, Siegfried chose several bottles of the finest wine his family had available and placed them carefully, almost reverently, on the top of his design prototypes.

Briefly Siegfried considered bring flowers as well, but decided against them. During this time of year, it would take too long to acquire a suitable bouquet. Besides, Siegfried had to maintain some air of subtlety, and thrusting a dozen roses in Pegasus's face would be far too obvious.

When the boys boarded the plane and Siegfried carefully stowed his box so that nothing would break, he realized Leon was waiting patiently for an explanation. Siegfried yawned and settled into a chair, wondering if he could pretend to drop off to sleep and get out of admitting his screw-up. "What did you do this time?" Leon grumbled. So much for feigning sleep.

"Well," Siegfried murmured, still trying to think of a way to stall. "I seem to have caught Herr Pegasus's eye. I sort of designed a character in Herr Kaiba's game that apparently bears a passing resemblance to Herr Pegasus's late wife. It would behoove us to get Herr Pegasus to fall out of love with the woman." In the face of Leon's glare, Siegfried sighed and told Leon the whole story.

"You are out of your mind," Leon muttered at the end of the tale. "And you're going to drag me along with you. Look, if I help you, you have got to promise me that you'll stop trying to manipulate people like this."

"Cross my heart." Siegfried drew an "x" over his heart with his finger. Leon continued to glare, snorting in disbelief. Siegfried didn't blame him; old habits were hard to break. "Now get some rest, my dear little brother. We have a long flight ahead of us." Without another word, Siegfried stretched his long legs out across the aisle and shut his eyes. He assumed that Leon did likewise.

The smell of fresh coffee brought Siegfried back to the waking world. "Just the way you like it," Leon said as he placed a mug bearing the Schroeder Corp rose emblem into Siegfried's hands. "Cream and sugar with just a hint of coffee. We'll be landing in about an hour. Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

"Nein," Siegfried sighed. He took a sip of the coffee, savoring the hot, over-sweetened drink. "But I haven't thought of a better way to resolve this mess satisfactorily either. So, how do I look?"

"Like you've been sleeping on a plane," came the brutally honest answer. Leon went to the back of the plane and poked among the luggage until he found the toiletries bag. When he returned, bag in tow, he pointed to the floor. "Sit so I can reach." Siegfried sat and allowed Leon to comb the nighttime tangles out of his hair. "You should leave off the suit jacket," Leon muttered as he brushed. "It looks good on you, but it's too formal. And it's all rumpled."

"Everyone's a critic." As much as Siegfried liked this particular suit, he had to admit that Leon made one good point. The jacket was a bit wrinkled from being slept in. Pouting slightly, Siegfried slid the jacket off. "Better?"

"Better." The two boys spent the rest of the flight in companionable silence. Leon took careful care of the primping that normally would have fallen to a maid if Siegfried had brought one along. While his appearance wasn't up to its usual standards of perfection, Siegfried felt that just this once the substandard quality could be excused. After all, one could hardly expect to look one's best when traveling suddenly on such short notice.

Right at ten o'clock local time, with Siegfried beginning to fret over the possibility of not making it before Pegasus's lunch date with Princess Ophelia, the plane touched down. As the boys disembarked, Pegasus's manservant - a stern man that glared at them balefully from behind dark sunglasses, met them. "We," Siegfried announced dramatically to the man, "have come to pay Herr Pegasus a visit. Let him know that Siegfried and Leon von Schroeder have arrived." When the man didn't move, Siegfried began tapping his foot impatiently. "What are you waiting for? Go on. Go announce us properly to Herr Pegasus."

"Please," Leon added.

Much to Siegfried's surprise, Leon's "please" seemed to do the trick. The manservant bowed. When he straightened, he motioned for the boys to follow and began walking away.

As Siegfried trailed along, he found himself glad that he'd decided to shed the suit jacket. Even in the winter, Pegasus's island home was temperate enough to make such formal wear uncomfortable. Apparently Germany's frigid mid-winter never reached the island. If Siegfried hadn't known better, he would have assumed it to be early autumn. He wanted to stop and admire the late-blooming flowers of Pegasus's gardens, but the stern manservant wouldn't stop.

When they rounded a corner, they found Pegasus waiting for them. He seemed perfectly at ease in his "public appearance" clothes - the red suit that would have looked hideously garish on anyone else, but which suited him perfectly. "Ziggy-boy! And this must be your brother. Leon, isn't it? I do see the family resemblance." Pegasus called out cheerfully. Siegfried blinked in surprise. He hadn't even been sure Pegasus would remember him; much less label him with a ridiculous nickname.

"Ziggy," Leon snickered, no doubt amused by Pegasus's irreverence.

Pegasus's unorthodox greeting had the added effect of leaving Siegfried off balance. He didn't know whether or not the same informality was expected of him. Siegfried's indecision lasted only a second, though; as he set his box on the ground and bowed to cover his momentary floundering. "Herr Pegasus," he greeted, an impish smile curving across his face. "I come bearing gifts."

Siegfried reached into his box and pulled out a bottle of wine. Pegasus's visible eye widened as he reached for the bottle. "Is that Scheurebe? And a good year, at that! Oh, you delightful boy! It's been ages since I've sampled a fine German wine." Siegfried preened at the praise, pleased that he'd chosen the right tactic for dealing with the eccentric artist. "Croquet, go fetch us some glasses, and one for yourself. And would you like anything, Leon? No? Well, you can't say I didn't offer."

Once Croquet made his escape from his boss's enthusiastic attempts at playing host, Pegasus ushered his guests to a patio table. Siegfried recognized it as the same table Kaiba had set at when they'd come over the summer to ask for Pegasus's help. "So, what sort of trouble have you gotten yourself into now, Ziggy-boy?"

"Nein, nein," Siegfried laughed, widening his eyes innocently. Siegfried knew how to play innocent; it was an act he'd perfected during Kaiba's little Grand Championship tournament. "No trouble this time, Herr Pegasus. We merely came for the pleasure of your company."

Pegasus began waggling a finger at Siegfried, though his expression never shifted out of pleasant amusement. "Don't kid a kidder, Ziggy-boy. I might not be able to tell you the exact time in your neck of the woods, but I know that to get here by now you would have pulled a red eye flight. If I had the time to play your games, I would, but I'm supposed to meet someone in a couple of hours."

"Believe me. It was pure whim on his part," Leon assured Pegasus. He pasted on his sweetest smile and Siegfried could see Pegasus practically melt over the boy's freckles and wide green eyes. "I'm glad we're here, though. It's good to meet the person who was such a help in getting Gozaburo Kaiba out of my brother's body."

Now it was Pegasus's turn to preen, seeming to drop his suspicions for the moment. "Really, now. It was no trouble. I hardly did anything at all."

Siegfried watched in admiration as his brother completely disarmed Pegasus. Leon had tried explaining how he did it several years back when Siegfried noticed that he was successfully conning about half of the guests out of cookies at every holiday celebration the boys went to. "Sure, Siegfried, you're drop dead sexy and could seduce anything you want out of a crowd, but I've got something better working for me," he'd said. "Being adorable can be a far greater power if properly worked. People are more likely to fall for the cute waif act than the sexy lover act." And now Leon turned on the power of cute to allay Pegasus's suspicions. The boy might accuse Siegfried of being manipulative, but he could be just as bad when he put his mind to it.

Croquet returned with the glasses, and Pegasus poured the wine. Smiling, Siegfried raised his glass. "Let us drink to success, gentlemen." At Pegasus's questioning gaze, he added, "Father always said that if you cannot raise a toast to success, then you ought not be drinking. After all, everyone wants to succeed in something. I drink to success in business."

Pegasus eyed Siegfried shrewdly over the rim of his glass, but Siegfried continued his innocent act. He'd come prepared to let Pegasus think that his ulterior motive for this visit was purely to gain a business tie to Industrial Illusions. At last Pegasus clinked his glass against Siegfried's. "And that tells me that this is more than a pleasure trip for you. Ah, well. I will drink to success in love. Croquet?"

The manservant flashed a brief, enigmatic smile. "Happiness," he added simply, joining the toast.

The men began to chatter amongst each other. At least, Pegasus and Siegfried chattered. Croquet stood by and listened, having no interest in the latest gossip among the rich and famous. Leon, for his part, leaned against his brother's side and began to doze. Siegfried draped an arm comfortably over his brother's shoulders and let the boy sleep.

"You know," Pegasus murmured, "I'm pretty much retired now, Ziggy-boy. You'd have better 'success' dealing with my successors if you want to get your foot in the door. Still, you're welcome to visit for as long as you please. Croquet, go ready a room for our guests."

Once again the manservant trooped back to the house. Siegfried stifled a smile, wondering if this was how Pegasus kept the hired help in shape. "Ja, I know about your retirement." Siegfried poked his lower lip out in an indolent pout. "The Tenmas, however, do not wish to share Duel Monsters with any other company than Kaiba Corp. And so here I am." The best lies, Siegfried knew, were the ones that were true. He had tried to arrange a meeting with the Tenma brothers, and failed miserably. If Pegasus placed a few calls, this much could be confirmed. "Everyone knows Yakou and Getsukou respect you. If you could maybe look over my ideas..."

Wordlessly, Pegasus held out his hand. Hardly daring to believe his good fortune, Siegfried set his briefcase upon the table, taking care not to jostle Leon. He opened the case and pulled out the files he'd had Leon pack, passing them to Pegasus. Surely getting to Pegasus couldn't be this easy!

Pegasus began flipping through the folders, skimming the contents. While he glanced through Siegfried's ideas, Croquet returned and cleared his throat. Pegasus glanced up, smiling widely. "Oh! It's time already! We'll have to finish this later, Ziggy-boy. Croquet, why don't you show the boys to their rooms? They look exhausted. Well, ta-ta." Without a backward glance, Pegasus rose from the table and left to keep his appointment with the princess. Siegfried growled under his breath, his hopes of distracting Pegasus from the date thoroughly dashed.

For the second time that day, the Schroeder brothers found themselves trailing along behind Croquet. The older man said nothing as he guided the boys around Pegasus's home, through hallways interspersed with portraits of the woman Siegfried had modeled the Princess Ophelia after.

The room Croquet led the boys to seemed, at first glance, to be properly luxurious for a guest of Siegfried's stature. A bed large enough for family of four dominated the room. Both Siegfried and Leon cast it longing looks, but they couldn't spare the time for sleep just yet.

Leon crossed the room to the luggage that had been carefully stacked in the corner and began hunting for Siegfried's computer. Siegfried began searching through his box of prototypes. As Leon found and began setting up the computer, Siegfried found the device he wanted - a virtual reality headpiece. For the past few months, Siegfried had been working on a design for a headpiece that would do the same as the over-sized virtual reality pods and put a person's consciousness into the game. Succeeding hadn't been all that difficult, though now he was wrestling with the problem of how to manufacture the headpieces cheaply enough that they could be sold to the general public. If he could find a way around the high production costs, then he could release this exquisite piece of equipment and come out ahead of Kaiba.

Siegfried slid the headpiece on and stretched out on the bed. Leon stretched out the cord from the headpiece and plugged it into the computer. "Good luck, big brother," Leon whispered. Giving Leon what he hoped was a comforting smile, Siegfried turned on the headpiece.

The first thing Siegfried realized as he entered into the game was that Princess Ophelia was once again not dressed for the weather. Yet still she was trooping through the snow to Dame Chat's home. "Stupid woman," Siegfried growled under his breath as he took a moment to look himself over. At least the princess had the good sense to put on a cloak before heading out, but that was apparently the only moment of sensibility that she'd had.

No doubt Siegfried looked stunning as the princess. He wore a gown with a neckline cut just barely low enough to be considered within the bounds of decency, leaving no doubt as to what signals the princess wanted to send Pegasus. A string of pearls looped around Siegfried's neck to draw attention to the bosom area. And, as before, Siegfried's feet were freezing due to the presence of slippers that were never meant for anything harsher than ballroom dancing.

As the cottage came into view, Siegfried plastered on a smile. Pegasus stood out on the porch, waiting. Siegfried quickened his pace and practically threw himself into the man's arms. "Sir Pegasus!" he exclaimed, taking care with his speech. One slip into his native language and Siegfried knew the game would be up. "It is good to see you again!"

"Likewise, Princess," Pegasus murmured as he pulled Siegfried closer against him. Siegfried tilted his gaze up to savor the joy on Pegasus's face, but he found himself with only a brief moment to enjoy the view as Pegasus captured his mouth. Pegasus's hands drifted down Siegfried's back, cradling Siegfried still closer against his body as he deepened the kiss.

When it at last occurred to Siegfried that this sort of kiss might be just a tiny bit out of character for the princess, Pegasus was already pulling away. Taking a moment to catch his breath, Siegfried flashed Pegasus a genuine smile. "You missed me," he teased.

"And you missed me, too," Pegasus countered, still holding Siegfried in the circle of his arms. Siegfried nestled against the warmth of Pegasus's body. Idly, he reached up to trace his fingers along the length of Pegasus's jaw. "You forgot your gloves again, Princess."

"So I have," Siegfried sighed. He tried to think about the sorts of things a love struck princess might say, and settled for the corniest line he could come up with. "Because I knew I could count on you to keep me warm, Sir Pegasus."

Pegasus began to laugh as he led Siegfried inside. Immediately, the smell of cooking food tickled at Siegfried's nose. The sphinx balanced a platter easily, taking it to the table. "Greetings, sister and her mister. We shall soon eat many a tasty treat." She prodded a blanketed bundle with one of her lion's paws. "Up with thee, lazy bones. Let's hear none of thy moans. Thy mate is due to return and tell us what he has learned."

Dartz peered out from under his nest of blankets and glared balefully at the beast. He turned his basilisk stare to Pegasus and Siegfried. Without even thinking about it, Siegfried buried his face against Pegasus's chest. The vampire made an amused sound in the back of his throat - a sort of chuckle that never quite escaped. "I know what I'm hungry for." The sphinx promptly kicked him again. "Violent beast," Dartz grumbled.

"If thou dost not behave, all that pretty hair I'll shave," the sphinx threatened, shaking a rather large knife in the face of the vampire. When she decided that the vampire looked suitably contrite, she began using the knife to carve up some sort of roast beast. Siegfried didn't want to think about what else that knife might have been used for.

During the entire exchange between the monsters, Siegfried realized that Pegasus had been stroking his hair soothingly. Siegfried sighed contentedly as he leaned against Pegasus, enjoying the moment. He couldn't ever recall anyone holding him like this before; his family never having been overly affectionate. Now, though, Siegfried could see what he'd been missing. This was nice.

Pegasus drifted an arm down to Siegfried's waist and led him to the table. "This all looks absolutely delicious," he told the sphinx. Siegfried nodded in agreement, avoiding the sphinx's gaze as Pegasus pulled out a chair for him. The two humans and the sphinx began sampling at the meal. The vampire sipped at a bottle of blood.

Siegfried carefully moderated how much he ate. Since the food wasn't real, he knew that he could eat everything on the table and still be as hungry as when he started. When he returned to the real world, he would definitely request a meal from Pegasus. Coffee and wine, after all, do not make filling meals.

"I want to go find my Pegasus," Dartz announced as the meal drew to a close.

"Thy mate does run late," the sphinx murmured casting a worried look at the door.

Dartz nodded and rose from the table, wringing his hands in worry. Siegfried watched the nervous gesture, wondering what the vampire would do if something had happened to the vampire Pegasus. The sphinx watched for a moment, and then went to the cottage's one bedroom. When she returned, she carried a pair of sensible boots, which she held out to Siegfried. "We will go to seek our friend. Will you help us to that end?"

Siegfried nodded as he took the boots. He kicked off the silly slippers gladly. Searching the forest would provide him with ample alone time with Pegasus. Surely he could manage to create a rift between Pegasus and the princess. "You have such a good heart," Pegasus whispered, slipping Siegfried a quick kiss on the ear. "You and I can search the ground while the monsters take to the air."

Once Siegfried's feet were suitably protected from the snow, everyone trooped outside. The sphinx took off right away. Dartz paused long enough to create wings. Siegfried had never seen the process before and found it fascinating to watch as the vampire pulled shadows about his body as if they were a cloak. When he finished, he bowed to Pegasus and Siegfried. "Thank you for helping us."

"Not a problem," Pegasus assured the vampire. "What are friends for, after all?" Dartz smiled and took hold Pegasus's hands, placing his lips lightly over the pulse. Then he repeated the gesture with Siegfried before launching himself into the air.

Once they were alone, Pegasus took Siegfried's hand and began leading the way into the forest. Siegfried opened his mouth to protest, thinking that might be a good way to start creating a rift, but he closed it again as he saw the grim look on Pegasus's face. Pegasus wasn't flirting, so scolding for such actions would be wasted. Instead, he concentrated on searching for signs of Pegasus's vampiric doppelganger.

Siegfried had lost all track of time when he heard a low growling. Both he and Pegasus whirled around to face the incoming threat, neither expecting it to be the missing Vampire Lord. The monster crouched against a snowdrift, blackened burns covering its body. The vampire turned its head in their direction, tracking by sound, unable to use its fire-blinded eyes. It let out another growl - a sound to warn off anything that might mistake it for prey. Siegfried felt ill at the sight of his creation in such a pitiful state.

"Other me," Pegasus murmured soothingly. The growling ceased at the sound of a familiar voice. "Ophelia, go back to the house." Pegasus kept his voice soft and steady as he crept closer to the vampire. Siegfried started to protest, but Pegasus shook his head. "He needs to feed, Princess, and I don't think he's in any shape to be either careful or picky with his meal. Now go back to the house where it's safe."

Pegasus's tone brooked no argument, nor could Siegfried think of any reason to stay that wouldn't blow his cover. He wanted to stay, though. Even though he didn't want to admit it, the monster was partly his responsibility, for he was the one that had programmed awareness into it. Silently, Siegfried began scurrying back towards the cottage.

Siegfried had only gone a short distance when he heard a twig snap behind him. "Sir Pegasus?" he called out uncertainly. Only a raucous laugh answered in reply as some rough-looking men stepped into view.

"Boss is going to love this," the biggest of the bunch grinned, revealing yellow, gnarled teeth. "Here we was trying to figure out how to bust into the castle, and we find the princess all by her lonesome. This is just too easy. Now come along all peaceable-like, missy, and there won't be any trouble." The man slapped an oversized cudgel against his meaty palm to emphasize exactly what sort of trouble there would be if Siegfried chose to resist.

A quick check showed Siegfried that he was surrounded by a group of NPCs. Reasoning would be nearly impossible unless they were programmed to be reasoned with. Siegfried didn't think the group looked like the reasoning sort, however. Still, he saw no harm in trying. "You could let me go," Siegfried pleaded, removing the string of pearls from his neck. "I could pay you. These are worth a pretty penny."

"Now come along all peaceable-like, missy, and there won't be any trouble." The repetition was accompanied by the man smacking his palm with the cudgel again. Siegfried smiled a little as he realized the game sprite was running slightly outside its program parameters. It wouldn't have been repeating itself otherwise.

However, Siegfried realized that nothing short of brute force would free him from this situation - brute force or out-thinking the program. "Very well," Siegfried sighed. "I surrender." By playing along, maybe he could learn what was going on.

The bandit that had been doing all the talking stepped forward. He began tying Siegfried's hands, paying no attention to the pearls still in his clutches. Then he ripped off Siegfried's cloak and hung it on a tree branch. One of the other thugs began smearing soot onto the cloak and snaring a scrap from a feathered cloak onto another branch.

Siegfried watched the bandits impassively, piecing together their actions. As near as he could tell, it looked like the Burning City and Floating City were about to be framed for the princess's abduction. "This looks like a clever little plan," Siegfried told his captor, hoping to pump him for some more information.

"Clever, indeed!" the man chuckled in the same irritating guffaw Siegfried had heard earlier. "Bandit King Zero never would have thought of this. But we've got a new leader now - a better one! And once all the sides in the war finish bashing at each other, we'll step in and take over! The world's going to be ours!"

"Someone certainly has humble goals," Siegfried muttered sarcastically. His captor seemed to have nothing more to say, however, as he began tugging Siegfried along. He never noticed as Siegfried snapped the string of pearls and began dropping them off at regular intervals.

The group stepped into a clearing and Siegfried cringed at the sight of their transport. "Horses," he groaned. Why did it have to be horses? One of the beasts whickered a bloodthirsty greeting. Siegfried's captor threw him over the back of a solid black horse and bound his wrists to the saddle horn. As they started off, Siegfried continued to drop pearls, hoping that Pegasus would be able to find the trail and rescue him before the horse decided to enact whatever murderous plans surely must be filtering through its equine brain


	6. The Apple of My EyeBM

**Author's Note: **I used Babelfish for the German tidbits of this fic. It's handy, though sometimes I doubt its accuracy.

**Access Denied**

**The Apple of my EyeBM**

Pegasus watched Ophelia leave him in silence. Already he ached to have her by his side again, but with the Vampire Lord in such terrible condition, he worried that she might be in danger. The vampire didn't appear to be in any condition to control himself when he began to feed. Pegasus wouldn't risk exposing Ophelia to the dangers of a wounded, ravenous vampire.

The other Pegasus began to growl again, unnerved by the sudden silence. "I'm still here," came the quick reassurance, and the growling ceased once more. The nearer he approached the vampire, the stronger he picked up a sulfur smell. Wrinkling his nose, Pegasus took his sword and carefully cut his wrist on the blade. As the blood began to well up, the vampire's nostrils flared, picking up the scent. Pegasus wouldn't have thought that his doppelganger was in any shape to move, but the creature leapt, slamming the man into the ground.

The vampire made no efforts to be gentle, but Pegasus had been through worse. Compared with having a magical golden eye shoved into his head and then later ripped out again, the vampire's feeding was more like a love nip. However, had the situation been different, Pegasus wouldn't have been so willing to forgive the vampire for nearly gnawing his hand off. As it was, though, he did his best to ignore the pain and delved into his inventory for healing potions.

Healing items and the undead did not mix. If Pegasus had used a healing potion on the vampire, he would have caused more damage to the creature - maybe even killed it temporarily. With little other choice, he let it feast on his game avatar's life force.

Charred skin began to flake away, revealing tender, new skin beneath. With a shudder, the vampire shut its blind eyes, teeth sinking deeper still into Pegasus's flesh as though he were determined to leave nothing behind but a drained husk. Pegasus was eyeing his dwindling potion supply worriedly when suddenly the vampire released him. "How much more can you spare?" The creature's voice was raspy, but intelligible. His face still held the animal hunger, but his healed eyes at least contained reason again.

"I've got three potions left if you want to continue your little snack," Pegasus said lightly as he wondered how much more the vampire could put away.

The Vampire Lord Pegasus rose to his feet, grunting in pain. "Not enough. I'd drain you dry and still be hungry. I'll catch someone later. Thanks for getting me through the worst. Now let's go figure out how to prevent the end of the world."

Pegasus stared, wondering if whatever had happened had skewed the vampire's sense of humor somewhat. "End of the world, huh? I haven't been involved with anything like that since Dartz's namesake tried to summon the Great Leviathan and drown the world in darkness. So what are we facing? Ancient spirits? Mad scientists? Godzilla?"

Now it was the vampire's turn to stare, taken aback by Pegasus's flippant attitude. "Nothing quite like that. We've got to get the elemental rings back to their cities or else everything goes to hell in a hand basket. It's already started. I ran into volcano problems while leaving the Burning City. The magic in the rings makes the cities possible. With the rings gone, the cities are going to self-destruct dramatically and take most of the world with them."

Pegasus nodded in understanding as the current game plot began to make sense. Someone had stolen these rings and framed the other cities for the job, which would keep the more intelligent NPCs from going questing. The rings were probably stashed safely away somewhere, guarded by powerful monsters, waiting on players to come find them. And to encourage players to find them, cue the slow onset of Armageddon, creating a situation that was both simple and complex. Pegasus suspected that each city probably held clues to the rings' locations, and only by putting aside their city allegiances and working together would players be able to find the rings.

Pegasus and the vampire walked together in silence, each lost in his own thoughts. As the vampire stumbled, Pegasus reached out to steady him. That's when he caught sight of the fluttering of a green cloak. "Ophelia!" he called out, waving. How like the sweet girl to stop to wait on him!

Ophelia made no response to Pegasus's greeting. Something wasn't right. "Ophelia!" Pegasus shouted again. When again Ophelia didn't respond, Pegasus murmured a quick apology to the vampire and started running. As he reached his goal, he only found a cloak hanging from a tree, with no princess in sight. Desperately, he began calling Ophelia's name again and again, but no answer ever came.

As the vampire reached Pegasus, his frantic cries had stopped. Ophelia wasn't going to respond. Pegasus leaned against the tree, silently railing against whatever part of his fate seemed determined to rip away his happiness. The vampire proved to be more productive, examining the scene. "It's a set-up." Pegasus frowned and glared at the vampire, who began pointing. "Ashes and a scrap of feather cloak - makes it look like the Burning City and Floating City are working together. But look at the ground!"

Pegasus followed instructions and began studying the ground. All he saw, however, were plain hoof prints . Yet something about that fact bothered him. "If the Floating City were involved," Pegasus murmured, rubbing his chin as he thought, "then why didn't they fly away?"

The vampire nodded. "Good. You do know how to use your brain." Pegasus shot the other Pegasus a glare, wondering if he'd been around Kaiba too much. The vampire had certainly picked up a touch of Kaiba's natural sarcasm. "And here's something else to think about - none of the snow is melted. There's no way the Burning City could have been involved. It's a set-up. The real question is who's behind it all."

The vampire sat on the ground and sighed. Watching him, Pegasus realized that the creature was still far from healed. If he went back to the house, he could get some of the bottled blood that the vampires kept on hand. But then Ophelia's captors would get further away. As if sensing Pegasus's consternation, the vampire grinned. "Your friend's captors might make a tasty snack, Pegasus Knight." Vampire Lord Pegasus picked something up off the ground and held it out for Pegasus to see - a single pink freshwater pearl. "Perhaps this Ophelia wants us to find her. What do you think?"

"Oh! The clever, clever girl!" Pegasus began searching the ground, letting out a cry of triumph as he found another pearl. Even if the horse tracks were lost in the snow, they still had another trail they could follow. The vampire rose again, using a tree for support, and began following. Pegasus slowed enough for the vampire to use him as a support as they tracked their prey. Occasionally, Pegasus clenched his fist around the hilt of his sword in reflexive anger. Whoever stole Ophelia would pay dearly.

"You love this Ophelia?" Pegasus started slightly at the vampire's question, realizing that for a man who generally hid his emotions, he was being quite the open book at the moment. Pegasus nodded in silent admission, though if he permitted himself to be honest, it wasn't so much Ophelia he was in love with as it was her resemblance to his late wife. By his side, the vampire began to chuckle. "Hardly a profound profession of love, Pegasus Knight."

"You're right." Pegasus sighed, keeping his gaze fixed firmly on the ground so as not to lose sight of the tracks. "It's a bit complicated, though. I've been in love with a memory for so many years, and then I find that memory given form in this world. I can't turn my back on this chance to get back what I lost when Cecilia died. I think I do love Ophelia, but she's just so perfect that I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop."

The vampire nodded, though whether or not he truly understood, Pegasus couldn't guess. Even knowing that Ophelia wasn't truly Cecilia, Pegasus still longed for her. Was it foolish to love a computer program? Certainly Weevil didn't seem to think so. And if the vampires and sphinx were any indication, then computer programs were capable of loving in return.

A guttural voice barking orders jarred Pegasus from his reverie. "You! Get those tents up! Dispatch a message to the boss! Tell him we've got his pretty! Get a fire going before I freeze my ass off!" The vampire pushed Pegasus behind a bush, and the two began creeping closer as stealthily as possible.

On their approach, they found a group of rough-looking men setting up a camp. The vampire nudged Pegasus's side and pointed. "That her?" Pegasus tracked his gaze in the indicated direction. Ophelia sat off to the side, glaring at the bandits haughtily. Without her cloak, her shoulders were bare to the cold, but she refused to acknowledge any discomfort. Even with her hands tied and snow dusting her hair, she still maintained an air of royalty.

One of the thugs approached and began running his hands over the princess's body. Pegasus started to lunge to his feet, but the vampire grabbed him and held him back down to the ground. What happened next, Pegasus almost missed. While the bandit was making his move, the princess's hands darted out and grabbed his dagger. She slashed at the man, rolling to the side to escape his flailing. By this time, the princess had the entire camp's attention, though most of the men were staring stupidly. Ophelia used the moment of stunned silence to cut the ropes binding her hands.

The bandit that had received the princess's first attack had recovered and lunged, grabbing onto Ophelia's skirts. Ophelia drove the dagger downward, slicing at the fabric until the man was left with a handful of petticoat. Before the man could make another grab, Ophelia's foot hit him right in the middle of the face in a kick that would have broken a real person's nose.

"I like her!" the Vampire Lord exclaimed in approval. Pegasus could only stare, never having realized what a little tiger Ophelia could be. This certainly wasn't his Cecilia! But she was surrounded. Pegasus rose to go to the princess's aid, and this time the vampire didn't hold him back. "See if you can't get one of them close to me before I starve," came the vampire's orders. Pegasus nodded and joined the fray.

In his first attack, Pegasus managed to hurl one of the bandits into the bushes where the Vampire Lord waited. He barely had time to notice a pair of hands dart out to grab the bandit before he was fending off the next attack. Pegasus took full advantage of his sword's reach, keeping the bandits at bay. "Princess!" he called out cheerfully.

"My hero comes!" Ophelia chuckled, grabbing a second dagger from the belt of one of the fallen bandits. "I was starting to despair of ever seeing you again, Sir Pegasus."

"Well, I was going to jump in sooner, but seeing you in your bloomers stopped me in my tracks, love." Pegasus grabbed another bandit and hurled him towards the vampire. That looked to be the last of them, unless some had been smart enough to run away. Pegasus drew Ophelia into his arms, savoring the victory. "And where did such a refined princess learn to fight like that?"

"A lady must have many skills, Sir Pegasus," Ophelia murmured.

While Pegasus cradled the princess against him, the Vampire Lord came out of hiding and began rummaging through the camp. "Horrible, disgusting, foul!" the vampire complained, grabbing what looked like an abandoned bottle of whiskey. He pulled the cork out of the bottle and took a swallow, gargling. After he spat, he glared balefully at Pegasus. "Those disgusting apes have never heard of bathing! Ugh! I can still taste their flesh!" The vampire took another pull at the bottle.

"I thought you told me he wasn't a picky-eater," Ophelia whispered, an amused smile gracing her lips.

"No, love," Pegasus said, keeping his voice soft so as not to offend the vampire who was busily ranting about being poisoned. "I told you that at that moment he wasn't in any shape to be picky. Apparently even the undead have standards, however." Ophelia buried her face against Pegasus's chest, shoulders shaking with barely suppressed laughter.

The shaking soon turned to shivers of cold. Pegasus led the princess to the fire pit the bandits had set up, and started up a fire. Then he went to the abandoned horses and began rummaging through their packs. He couldn't find any suitable clothing, but he did return with a couple of saddle blankets. Ophelia wrinkled her pert nose at the smell of horse on the blankets, but she bundled up with no more complaint than, "Horrid beasts."

"You don't like horses?" Pegasus mentally added this fact to his list of ways that Ophelia differed from Cecilia. Cecilia had loved all creatures. Ophelia might wear his wife's face, but she was proving to be a far different creature than Cecilia had been. Not that Pegasus minded - the differences were an excellent reminder that this wasn't Cecilia he was dealing with.

"Ne- No," the princess muttered, stammering from the cold. "Bad experience." She leaned over, resting her head against Pegasus's shoulder. Pegasus wrapped an arm around the princess, enjoying the way she seemed almost tailor-made for cuddling against him. Until Ophelia, Pegasus had forgotten how nice it felt to hold a woman in his arms. She was warm and soft, and they fit together like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

"If you won't ride," Pegasus murmured, "then I shall have to walk you home." Ophelia glanced up at Pegasus sharply, a protest already forming on her perfect lips - a protest which Pegasus silenced with a kiss. When they broke apart, Pegasus added, "I want to make sure you arrive home safely. If anything should happen to you..." Ophelia laced her fingers with Pegasus's, regarding him in silence before nodding. She would not fight this request.

The Vampire Lord, obviously feeling better, watched the two thoughtfully. Seeming to reach a decision, the creature nodded to himself and approached. As Dartz had done earlier, he took hold of Pegasus's hands and brushed his lips against the vein in a sensual farewell. "Wait here, other me. I will send proper transport for your princess."

The vampire spun his wings out of the growing shadows and took off. Idly, Pegasus wondered if the vampire's magic could create other things as well. It wasn't his business, though. "You are truly a rose among weeds," the princess murmured, squeezing Pegasus's hand.

"As are you, my princess." Ophelia shivered again and Pegasus pulled her against him. Whatever else Pegasus might say about the princess, she certainly wasn't shy - fighting bandits, parading around sans half a dress, pulling Pegasus's head down to meet her mouth in a fierce kiss. One kiss turned into two, and Pegasus stopped counting after that. All he needed was the moment. Nothing else mattered.

"Well, aren't you ever-so fair and charming a pair." Both Pegasus and Ophelia started guiltily as the sphinx stepped out from among the trees. Ophelia hastily readjusted the tattered remains of her dress. At the sight of the monster, the horses began to whinny in fear and pull at their tethers - survival instincts telling them that anything part lion meant danger. Ophelia shuddered and nestled closer to Pegasus. The sphinx merely regarded the beasts with a disdainful eye. "Those charming snacks are due for heart attacks."

Grinning, Ophelia added, "Well, brains they lack, and if they keep that up, their heads they'll crack." Delighted over someone playing along with her rhymes, the sphinx pulled Ophelia into a hug, crushing the princess against her bosom. With a touch of hesitance, the princess returned the hug.

When the embrace ended, the sphinx turned her attention to Pegasus. "I hear thou hast need for a dependable steed, not like those lack wits who only eat, run, and -" The rest of her rhyme was lost as Pegasus hopped up and covered her mouth, having realized the rhyme's logical conclusion. The princess did not need her pretty ears fouled by such language. As he pulled his hand away, the sphinx sullenly muttered, "Everyone crits."

Ophelia tittered softly, her laugh like the tinkling of perfect silver bells to Pegasus's ears. From her mischievous grin, Pegasus suspected that she also knew how the sphinx had been going to finish that rhyme. Still, at least he'd tried to protect the princess's innocence. Consoling himself with that thought, Pegasus helped Ophelia onto the sphinx's back, and then carefully took a seat behind her. He knew better than to try to ride one of the horses while in the sphinx's company.

The sphinx took off in a ground-eating gallop. Even when burdened by two passengers, she ran more swiftly than a horse. The scenery flew by in a blur, and Pegasus dearly hoped the creature knew to avoid low-hanging branches. In a relatively short time, the sphinx slowed to a stop outside the castle gates.

Guards met the group at the gate, weapons drawn as they regarded the sphinx. Obviously monsters weren't welcome here. The sphinx growled at the hostile game sprites, her tail lashing angrily as she paced back and forth in front of the gate just safely out of reach of the weapons.

Realizing that this was as close as they could approach in the sphinx's company, Pegasus dismounted and helped the princess to clamber down. "You were a much better ride than any horrid horse would have been," Ophelia murmured, giving the sphinx's side a quick pat. The sphinx smiled and ruffled Ophelia's already mussed hair before turning and dashing back amongst the trees.

Pegasus watched the sphinx leave, a solemn regretfulness weighing upon his thoughts. The creature had been a great help, yet because she was a monster, she was always viewed as a threat. The unfairness of the situation bothered Pegasus. Apparently it bothered Ophelia as well, for she was marching straight for the most decorated of the guards, waving a finger at him. "You! The next time that creature comes, she is to be treated as a guest!" The guard opened his mouth to protest, but Ophelia cut him off. "I know what she is, but she is a noble creature, and I will not see her treated in such a manner again. Is that understood?"

At some point during the harangue, the guard seemed to realize that this was a losing battle and simply began muttering, "Yes, Princess," at appropriate intervals. Pegasus followed as the guard began leading Ophelia inside, doing his best to stifle a smile. Cecilia had always hated injustice as well.

When they reached the throne room, Ophelia finally went quiet. A man that Pegasus could only assume was the king stared down at them, his face an angry mask. "What is the meaning of this, Daughter?" the king demanded.

"I was captured by bandits, Father." Ophelia's voice was soft and contrite, her expression downcast. "Sir Pegasus rescued me from their clutches."

The king rose from his throne and approached. "You have disobeyed me, Ophelia," the king growled in his deep, rumbly voice. "You were told not to leave the palace grounds. Until the ball, you are to be confined to your rooms. Under guard. I cannot wait for your betrothed to get here. Maybe he will be able to keep you in line."

Pegasus's mind nearly shut down at the word "betrothed." He'd told his vampiric double that he was waiting for the other shoe to drop, and drop it had - like a twenty-ton anvil. Ophelia - his Ophelia - was engaged! Pegasus sighed, wondering if he was merely a last fling for the princess before she tied the knot.

Ophelia clenched her fists and glared. "Don't give me that look, young lady!" the king snapped. "You will wed Prince Henry, and that is final. Now to your room!" As the princess stormed off, Pegasus almost wanted to laugh in relief. It was an arranged marriage! Ophelia no more wanted to wed than he wanted her to. "For rescuing my daughter, Sir Pegasus, here is an invitation to the ball two nights hence."

Pegasus accepted the invitation with an automatic bow, his thoughts still on Ophelia and her plight. As far as Pegasus was concerned, Ophelia should be free to follow her heart, but then his opinion was slightly biased. Once he was dismissed, Pegasus logged out of the game, grinning as his agile mind began developing the beginnings of a plan. And to think, only yesterday he'd been complaining about being bored!

As Pegasus stepped out of the virtual reality pod, his eye lit upon the files Siegfried had brought. Pegasus didn't really want to set a precedent for going over the Tenmas' heads. He'd handed them the reins to Industrial Illusions, and now it was up to them to sink or swim. Still, if they were turning away perfectly good business ventures, then perhaps a bit of discreet behind-the-scenes hinting would do no harm.

Of course, all of that was providing that Siegfried's ideas weren't complete tripe in the first place. Pegasus hadn't read a word of these files earlier. He'd just been pretending while he tried to decide whether or not to interrupt his state of semi-retirement. Plucking one of the folders off of the stack, Pegasus turned to the ever-present Croquet. "Be a dear and take the rest of these to my room. Then go see if the Schroeder boys would care for a bite to eat. You did let the kitchen staff know we have guests, yes? Good man!"

Satisfied that his duties as a good host were being taken care of, Pegasus opened up the folder and began to read as he made his way to the dining room. "Duel Pets," Pegasus murmured to himself, already intrigued. The idea was simplicity itself, building on the virtual pet fad from a few years back. A card reader such as what the duel disks were equipped with would allow players to raise and, of course, battle their favorite Duel Monsters. Magic and trap cards would give even the weakest monster an advantage in battle, and once a monster had reached a certain level it could be tributed for one of the stronger monsters.

Thoroughly engaged, Pegasus moved through his home by pure instinct. If anything had been blocking the hallways, he would have tripped over it. Pegasus reached the dining room while in the middle of a list of various monster special effects and how they could be adapted to the game. It was only when he realized that the cook was clattering around, taking longer to serve the food than normal, that he remembered that he had guests.

Hastily, Pegasus closed up the folder; amused at the way both boys were watching him as though their very lives hung in the balance. Putting on his usual enigmatic smile, Pegasus chose to ignore the boys to smile at his cook. "Everything looks and smells absolutely wonderful, Agnes. Thank you." It didn't escape Pegasus's notice that Siegfried's eyes never left the folder. "I'm afraid I never talk business at the table," Pegasus informed him, leaving the folder out in plain sight as a continuous taunt. Pegasus knew he was being infuriating, but he liked being infuriating.

Pegasus took a long moment to study the table, knowing that his guests would have had their manners so well drilled into them that they wouldn't start eating until he did. Soup, pasta, salad, and wine waited for the tasting. A surprisingly loud rumble interrupted the uncomfortable silence, and both Pegasus and Leon turned to stare at Siegfried. The elder Schroeder blushed the color of the soup - a delightfully tantalizing roasted tomato and pepper bisque. "Meine entschuldigungen," Siegfried muttered, so flustered that he slipped into his native language. Though he quickly added in English, "My apologies."

Pegasus waved off the boy's apologies, noting how he continued to stare at the food. Finally, Pegasus picked up a spoon and sampled the bisque. Though scrupulously well-mannered and genteel in his eating habits, Siegfried began tucking into the food as soon as Pegasus had taken that first taste. "Ziggy-boy, might I inquire as to when you last ate?"

Siegfried went still, and even without the power of the Millennium Eye, Pegasus knew that he was wondering what faux pas he might have made to bring about such a question. The boy managed a sheepish smile as he carefully twirled some pasta about the tines of his fork. "I had wine with you, Herr Pegasus, and coffee on the plane. Before that, yesterday, I enjoyed a sandwich for my midday repast. I have a tendency to forget about little things like food and sleep when I'm working, Herr Pegasus."

Pegasus found himself chuckling over Siegfried's admission. "You and Kaiba-boy are like two peas in a pod, Ziggy-boy. Work, work, work, and more work. While you're here, I want you to use this as vacation time. That means sleeping regular hours, eating regular meals, and for God's sake, try to enjoy yourself a little bit." A ringing phone interrupted Pegasus's speech. Blushing yet again, Siegfried took out his cell phone and checked the number. Then, he immediately passed the phone to Leon. As soon as Leon saw the number on the phone, he tried to pass it back.

The back and forth continued until Pegasus rose from the table and grabbed the phone. "Hello?" Immediately, a woman began demanding loudly, in German, to speak to Siegfried. Smirking, Pegasus held the phone out to the boy. "It's for you."

"Ja?" Siegfried sighed into the phone, looking every inch like someone being dragged to the gallows. "Ja, Mutter," he began repeating whenever his mother, whom Pegasus could still hear quite clearly, paused for breath. Pegasus had thought Ophelia could deliver a scathing harangue, but she was an amateur in comparison to the tongue-lashing Siegfried was receiving. Suddenly, Siegfried changed his tune with a soft, "Nein, Mutter." Instantly the shouting renewed itself. When Mama Schroeder had to once again pause to breathe - the woman had the lung capacity of a bellows - Siegfried launched into an explanation. The German words were too quick for Pegasus to follow, his experience with the language being rather rusty, but he did catch the word for "business" repeated several times, along with his own name.

With a cheerful grin and a wink, Leon offered Pegasus a bit of sage advice. "Never marry an opera singer, Mr. Pegasus. Your ears will thank you." Ah, that explained the strength of the woman's voice. Once again she was bellowing at Siegfried. Leon paid no attention, having most likely heard it all before. "Guilt trip," Leon explained as he went back to eating. "Apparently my charming brother forgot to let our mother know that we were leaving. She's always worked hard at keeping him under her thumb, making sure he'll be the perfect little corporate executive for father. It really irks her whenever Siegfried slips the leash." The CEO in question slumped down, resting his chin on the table and holding the phone away from his ear with a look of abject misery.

Seeing as how he'd caused the misery by answering the phone, Pegasus figured that he might as well put a stop to it. He plucked the phone out of Siegfried's hands and told Mama Schroeder in slow, precise German that they were trying to enjoy a nice meal, but he would see to it that Siegfried called her back afterwards. At least, that's what he hoped he said, though he couldn't shake the faint worry that he might have told the woman that he hoped elves would do obscene things to her in the middle of a busy thoroughfare. Quickly he turned the power off on the phone before the woman could begin screaming at him. "Your accent is atrocious, Herr Pegasus," Siegfried murmured with a grateful smile.

"Thank you, Herr Pegasus. Why, you're welcome, Ziggy-boy." Only the faintest hint of sarcasm tainted Pegasus's voice. "Now eat before your dinner gets any colder, or it'll be my turn to deliver a motherly scolding. And do call your mother back when you finish your dinner. I don't want you to make a liar out of me."

After dinner, under Pegasus's watchful eye, Siegfried turned his phone back on and began dialing. While Siegfried was under verbal attack, Leon took out his Duel Monsters deck and began shuffling through the cards. Smiling, he drew a hand and began playing against an imaginary opponent. Pegasus watched the boy for a few minutes, noting his tactics. Then he reached into a pocket sewn inside his jacket and took out his own deck. "Care to go a round, dear boy?"

Recognizing the honor of being invited to duel against the game's creator, Leon gathered his cards back up and once again shuffled. Then he offered his deck to Pegasus, as Pegasus did the same with his own deck. Leon handled Pegasus's deck with such reverence as he cut the cards that Pegasus found himself grinning. "Really now, dear boy. They're cards, not holy relics." Still, Leon's respect for the cards was pleasing, even if the boy didn't know the true history of the game.

The decks were passed back to their owners, and the game began. Since he no longer had the Eye to use as a crutch, Pegasus had to rely on skill, and he'd made a few changes to his deck to augment his playing style and strengthen his toons. Leon took the first move, setting a monster and two cards face down.

Pegasus nodded in approval, knowing that the boy was playing conservatively until he had a feel for Pegasus's playing style. On his draw, Pegasus felt a surge of triumph. "It looks like you're going to receive a taste of my most devastating card early on. I'll start by playing Spell Economics. This continuous spell will let me use magic cards without having to pay any life points if they have such a cost. And what do you know? My next card would normally cost me one thousand life points. Allow me to introduce you to Toon World - minus its nasty little price tag, of course. And then we'll just summon up the Toon Gemini Elves. Lucky for you they can't attack on the turn their summoned, hm?"

Even though this was just a tabletop game with no holograms, Pegasus could still sense the spirits of the monsters in the cards. He didn't know whether the ability came from having possessed the Eye for so long or if it was simply the true spirit of a Duelist in touch with his creatures, but whatever the cause, Pegasus was glad to have retained that small bit of magic.

As Leon studied his cards for his next move, Pegasus realized that the repetition of "ja, Mutter" from Siegfried had ceased. The boy still held the phone and Mama Schroeder could still be heard, but his attention was drawn to the duel. "Would you like to challenge me next, Ziggy-boy?" Siegfried nodded, turning off the phone without even bothering to give his mother even the slightest farewell. Pegasus was pleased to see Siegfried rid the room of that distraction. The game between Pegasus and Leon proceeded with the two staying neck and neck. Pegasus came out the victor, though he would have freely admitted that luck had as much to do with it as skill.

Once Leon gathered up his cards, he changed seats with Siegfried and a new game began. In the first move, Pegasus took a guess at the theme of Siegfried's deck. "Wagnerian opera? How unique! I love how you both use decks that honor your heritage." After that, Pegasus permitted the conversation to turn to business as he grilled Siegfried about the Duel Pets concept. The boy managed to play well enough considering Pegasus kept his attention divided between the game and the discussion. As Pegasus wiped out the last of Siegfried's life points, he waved a finger at the boy. "You realize that if I agree to allow you to use my precious game, then I'll expect you to behave yourself. I won't put up with any of these little tricks that you like to pull on Kaiba-boy."

The fact that Siegfried and Leon exchanged guilty glances didn't escape Pegasus's notice. The boys were apparently already up to something. Watching them scramble to put a stop to whatever trick they had in store might be fun, Pegasus decided. Of course, that was providing the game didn't monopolize all of Pegasus's time.

Pegasus gave an idle wave to one of the few constants in his life - the ever-present Croquet. "Coffee, please. We'll continue our negotiations in the sitting room. Much more comfortable in there. Would you care for some coffee, Ziggy-boy?"

"Ja," Siegfried answered, turning to Croquet. "Cream and sugar. Please." The "please," Pegasus noted, was nearly an afterthought. Young Siegfried certainly came from a background where he was accustomed to giving orders rather than making requests. Dealing with Croquet would be a good experience for the boy, then. Pegasus was the only one Croquet ever took orders from, and even then he had to keep in mind that there would come a point when Croquet might balk.

As Croquet left the room, Pegasus was surprised to see Leon follow. Siegfried rose with a languid smile, and Pegasus followed suit. Pegasus took the lead, with Siegfried following close behind. Annoyingly close, to be perfectly honest. The boy was practically tripping over Pegasus's heels. To keep Siegfried from stepping all over him, Pegasus slowed and took hold of the boy's arm, maneuvering him so that they walked side-by-side. "So, Leon mentioned that your mother used to be involved in the opera," Pegasus said in a half-hearted attempt at small talk.

"Ja," Siegfried murmured with a pained grimace. "That is where she and father met. I think she hoped that I would be a girl with a perfect soprano voice that she could make follow in her footsteps. She might have still tried to push me in that direction, but I managed to bribe my voice instructor with my allowance to tell her that I would never be able to maintain the volume for stage singing."

Pegasus found himself chuckling over this minor bit of duplicity as they reached the sitting room. It sounded like a stunt that he, himself, might have pulled. Working with Siegfried certainly seemed like it would be more fun than working with Kaiba, who the world knew had the sense of humor of a chunk of granite.

Next to the gardens and his studio, the sitting room was Pegasus's favorite room. He'd made it as comfortable as possible, as it was where he did most of his research. Ancient books, most the only copies in existence, rested on tables set in easy reach of the various leather chairs and the sofa. Pegasus settled on the sofa and watched as Siegfried began to browse the room. After examining several of the book titles, the boy turned to his host. "Do you truly believe in these sorts of things, Herr Pegasus?"

Pegasus affected disinterest as he picked up one of the many arcane texts. "Hm? Oh, I suppose the subject of magic interests me a little." He brushed his hair back out of his face for the briefest of moments, permitting Siegfried a brief glance at his whole face. The action was rewarded with a sharp gasp and a quick fumbling as Siegfried tried to keep from dropping the book he'd been examining. The boy really was far too easy to unnerve. "You should know what you're getting into when you involve yourself with Duel Monsters, Ziggy-boy. It really is so much more than a game, and your little Duel Pets might not be what you expect."

A knocking interrupted Pegasus, and he shot an irritated glance at the door. Croquet entered without waiting for permission, and began setting up for what he obviously suspected would be a long night of conversation. A full pot of coffee on a hot plate was set on the table. Cream and sugar followed, as well as a plate of sweet cakes. Then full mugs were passed to the men. Pegasus arched an eyebrow at the sight of the pale mixture in Siegfried's mug. "What, pray tell, is that?"

"Coffee," Siegfried answered simply, taking a sip and doing everything he could to keep from looking at Pegasus. "Leon made sure it's just the way I like it. He knows I am finicky with my coffee." Pegasus suspected that Siegfried was "finicky" about a great many other things as well as the boy stared fixedly at his mug.

Smiling, Pegasus propped his chin on his hands and watched Siegfried. The boy - no, young man - held a beauty that left Pegasus's fingers itching for a pencil. Pegasus had always enjoyed capturing beautiful things on paper and canvas, though after Cecilia's death that urge had faded somewhat. The Eye had used Pegasus as a tool to bring Duel Monsters to the world; it had needed Pegasus's talent and filled his head with visions that he'd needed to give form to before he went crazy.

Not that Pegasus had objected to being an outlet for a fate decreeing the return of the Shadow Games. Once he'd realized that the creatures he'd been painting were no mere visions of a deranged, grief-stricken mind, Pegasus had thrown himself into the work eagerly, feeling proprietariness for the monsters akin to that which a parent feels for a child.

But now, once again, Pegasus felt the urge to paint simply for the enjoyment of beauty. He knew that Ophelia had to be the cause - seeing Cecilia's face again, even if only as a game sprite, had thawed things in his heart that he'd thought frozen dead forever.

Pegasus rose to retrieve paper and pen, which he normally used for making notes during his studies. When he resettled, he began sketching Siegfried. Almost immediately, Pegasus realized that the sitting room was the wrong setting, but he could change that as he worked. As he drew, he began relating to Siegfried the true history of Duel Monsters; it was a history he would have shared with Kaiba when they'd first began their mutually beneficial business arrangement, but the Eye had allowed Pegasus to see that there was no way Kaiba would ever willingly acknowledge the existence of magic.

Siegfried still wasn't looking at him, Pegasus noted. He'd had no idea that the charming fellow would be so put out by a missing eye. At least he listened, though, which was more than Pegasus could ever say for Kaiba. Siegfried's gaze never wavered from his mug, except when he took a sip, and then he merely stared at the floor. As he talked, Pegasus set aside his sketch and stood, pacing the length of the room. He grabbed a series of photographs over which he'd pored many hours and dropped them in Siegfried's lap. "You don't have to believe me, Ziggy-boy, but I do feel that it is only fair to warn you. Even though the Shadow Games have supposedly ended, the spirits of the monsters still exist."

Siegfried flinched at Pegasus's nearness, wincing as a hand darted out to catch him under the chin. Pegasus turned the boy's face carefully. "I am not a hideous monster, and I would greatly appreciate it if you would stop treating me like one." With a shaking hand, Siegfried reached out to brush aside Pegasus's hair. Pegasus shut his one good eye, giving the boy silent permission to stare. He knew full well that the ravages of the Eye weren't pretty. After all, he had to wake up with this face every day. When Pegasus felt his hair fall back into place, he opened his eye again. "You've had a long day, Ziggy-boy. Take those," he pointed to the photographs, "and study them. Think on what I've told you and make certain that you truly want to involve yourself with my game and its dangers."

Pegasus turned his back on Siegfried - a sign that his lecture was over and that the boy was dismissed. He listened as Siegfried shuffled around, gathering up the photos and scurrying out of the sitting room. "Someone really needs to make a school to teach people what Duel Monsters is truly about," he muttered to himself once he heard the door close. "Too much work for me, though. Maybe I can get Kaiba-boy to do it. He likes work."

Of course, there were other things to do, such as rescue a princess from a marriage she didn't want. Pegasus settled back on his couch, and began working on his briefly abandoned sketch. He carefully blocked in a rose garden around Siegfried's form. Roses had been Cecilia's favorite. Pegasus wondered if Ophelia liked them too. Realizing that he was only putting off the inevitable, Pegasus took out his cell phone and began browsing through his programmed numbers until he found the one he wanted. One ring... Two...

"If this isn't important, then someone's fired," a gruff, familiar voice snarled.

Pegasus smirked, knowing that he was about to pester one of his favorite targets. He carefully made certain that he sounded utterly, sickeningly chipper as he said, "Kaiba-boy! How wonderful to hear your dulcet tones again. Do you think I could borrow your boyfriend?"


	7. Gather Ye Rosebuds

**Author's Note: **Sorry about the delay, folks! What with the holidays, it took longer than expected to get this chapter wrapped up. But, to make up for the delay, it's an extra long chapter! Enjoy!

**Access Denied**

**Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May**

Siegfried strolled the dim hallways in silence, clutching the photographs against his chest. He'd never imagined that the creator of Duel Monsters could be so obviously insane. Nor had he ever once dreamed that such a beautiful face could be so horribly flawed. Siegfried sighed and slumped back against the wall. He needed time to think, to determine what his next move should be.

Even though the man was insane, Pegasus's charm and charisma were hard to resist. And then there was the way he so obviously adored Ophelia. Every time Siegfried had even thought about doing something to create a rift between the two, something about the moment had just seemed wrong. It was foolishness to keep putting off what was so obviously necessary, but the perfectionist in Siegfried demanded that the timing be absolutely perfect.

Siegfried growled under his breath, willing his nerve to stop being so wishy-washy. He had to stop leading Pegasus on as Ophelia, and he had to win Pegasus for himself in the real world. The man might be a disfigured, raving loony, but Siegfried needed him if Schroeder Corp was to ever come out ahead of Kaiba Corp.

Trying to steel himself to do what he must when the time came, Siegfried finished the walk to the room he and Leon were sharing. Leon was still sitting up, playing games on Siegfried's computer. "I hope you're better at seducing than you are at breaking up," he mumbled critically.

"The man is delusional," Siegfried sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed. "He believes Duel Monsters are real creatures." With little else to do, Siegfried began examining the photos as Pegasus had told him. He doubted he would see anything that would change his mind about Pegasus's sanity, however. Magic was simply a flight of fancy.

"In other words, he resisted your irresistible charms," Leon chuckled. Siegfried didn't bother to inform him that after seeing Pegasus's face, he hadn't been able to bring himself to look at the man, much less flirt. Not that Pegasus was completely hideous, Siegfried supposed. As long as he kept that ruined eye hidden, the man was almost as pleasant to look upon as Siegfried himself was.

Siegfried paused as one of the photos caught his eye - a stone carving of Slifer the Sky Dragon on what looked to be an ancient tablet. Carefully Siegfried began spreading the photos out on the bed, realizing that they were all close-ups of the same tablet. Quickly he became engaged in piecing together the pictures, wanting to see the whole. The other two Duel Monster Gods joined Slifer, surrounding a carving of an upside down pyramid with an eye on it. "That looks like Yugi's puzzle," Leon said. Siegfried glanced up, startled because he thought his brother to be still engaged with the computer games.

With Leon's help, the tablet's entirety began to take shape. Staring, Siegfried recalled all that Pegasus had just told him about the Shadow Games of ancient Egypt. He couldn't deny that the Egyptian Gods were on the tablet. Nor could he tell himself that he didn't see the Dark Magician and the Blue Eyes White Dragon. He did try desperately to convince himself, however, that the two human figures on the tablet weren't Yugi and Kaiba. Failing that, Siegfried desperately sought for some sign that the photos were clever fakes.

"That is so cool!" Leon's eyes were wide as he stared at the tablet. "Cool" wasn't quite the word Siegfried would have used, though. "Unnerving" was more like it. Here he was, looking at visual proof that Duel Monsters had existed in the days of pharaohs - proof that Pegasus's little lecture on the game's history held some truth. Now Siegfried could see why Pegasus had told him about the game. Did he really want to involve himself and his company with the things that had taken Pegasus's eye?

In silence, Siegfried began to gather up the photos. He wanted to hurl them out the window and forget about them, but Pegasus might not approve of his property being abused in such a way. The pictures were carefully stacked and set upon the bureau. Siegfried would return them to Pegasus in the morning, once he'd had a chance to think over his options.

The dawn brought no answers to Siegfried, however. Moving quietly so as not to awaken Leon, Siegfried bundled up in a silk bathrobe and began retracing his steps from the night before. When he found the sitting room again, he knew he was on the right track. As soon as he reached the dining room again, Siegfried paused. The kitchens had to be close by. All he wanted was to grab a quick bite and then retreat back to his room where he could make himself properly beautiful for the day.

Deciding that it stood to reason that the kitchens would be near to the dining room, Siegfried began his search, feeling a little thrill of triumph as he discovered a door hidden behind a wall-hanging. The door opened onto a small hallway, which Siegfried realized was to prevent dinner guests from having to listen to the clatter of the kitchens. Siegfried's triumphant arrival into the kitchen was short-lived as he saw that he wasn't alone.

At a table by the windows, Pegasus sat, pencil scratching quickly over a sketchpad. Siegfried froze, uncertain as to whether or not he should intrude or retreat. He might have stood frozen until Doomsday if Pegasus hadn't made the decision for him. "Good morning, Ziggy-boy!" The older man's gaze briefly left the paper as he smiled warmly. "Pull up a chair, dear boy. Make yourself at home. I've got fresh coffee."

Siegfried blushed over having been caught looking less than his absolute best. It was one thing to have it happen at home where the servants would primp and pamper him into prettiness anyway, but it was an entirely different matter here where he was a guest and trying to make a good impression. Oddly enough, however, Pegasus seemed not to notice.

Since he couldn't make a polite escape, Siegfried made a beeline for the coffee. The kitchen was a homey enough place, Siegfried decided as he plucked a mug off of the hanging rack - peasant chic. Carefully Siegfried began measuring out equal parts coffee and cream into his cup, which he followed by stirring in five spoonfuls of sugar. As he finished his preparations, he realized he was being watched. "You weren't joking about being finicky, I see."

Siegfried shrugged as he settled at the table. He knew polite conversation was expected, but all he could think about was Pegasus's eye - not exactly the best topic to bring up. Siegfried's gaze traveled across Pegasus's sketchbook - the man was putting Ophelia's confrontation with the bandits down on paper. Impressed, Siegfried wondered if he'd really seemed that fierce. If he'd realized how close Pegasus had been at that battle, Siegfried might have continued the helpless damsel routine. But since he'd had no clue that help was near, when the bandit had acted the part of the crude thug that he was, Siegfried decided that enough was enough.

"May I look?" When Pegasus looked up from his drawing, blinking in surprise at the soft, polite question, Siegfried motioned to the sketchbook. "May I?" he asked again. Wordlessly, Pegasus pushed the sketchbook across the table.

Pegasus had been busy with his pencil, Siegfried saw as he browsed through image after image of Ophelia. It seemed as though the man was trying to capture every moment he spent with the princess on paper so that if he lost her, he could relive their time together through his drawings. A lump rose in Siegfried's throat as he realized that seen through Pegasus's eyes, Ophelia was even more beautiful than he'd thought.

A loose leaf of paper caught Siegfried's attention. He carefully pulled it out of the sketchbook, feeling a faint flush of triumph as he saw that it was a drawing of himself. At least he'd made a bit of an impression on Pegasus after all. Replacing the loose page and turning back to the drawing Pegasus had been working on, Siegfried passed the sketchbook back to Pegasus. "To say that you are talented is a gross understatement, Herr Pegasus."

Pegasus made a noncommittal sound, and Siegfried felt foolish. Of course Pegasus would already know he was talented. He'd created the Duel Monsters cards, after all. As Siegfried internally berated himself, he missed the arrival of Pegasus's manservant until the man spoke. "Sir, the supply ship just radioed. We've got another guest on the way."

Pegasus rose from the table, his face alight with pleasure. "My, my. I do seem to be a popular fellow these days. First Ziggy-boy and his brother and now...?" Croquet merely gave Pegasus a silent smile. Siegfried stared as he realized that the servant was teasing the master in his own quiet way. "Oh, don't be mean, Croquet! Tell me who it is!" Pegasus pouted.

"You should go dress to meet company, Master Pegasus," was the only response as Croquet bowed and left to attend to his duties.

Once the man was gone, Pegasus rose from the table. He was laughing, Siegfried noted, as though it didn't matter that his butler had been unbelievably rude. "Casual dress is probably fine," Pegasus informed Siegfried between chuckles. "Whoever it is, it must be someone I like and Croquet approves of - quite a short list, that. They've picked an awkward time to come, though. I've an appointment today that I simply can't break. But we can worry about that later. If you want to join me in greeting the mystery guest, the supply ship docks in about two hours, Ziggy-boy." With a wave, Pegasus was gone, leaving Siegfried at the table alone.

Siegfried polished off his coffee before heading back to his room. Two hours would hardly be enough time to be properly polished up to meet someone, but Pegasus had said that casual dress was acceptable. Someone Pegasus liked? Siegfried frowned at that thought. A rival for Pegasus's attentions perhaps? If that were the case, then Siegfried might need to look his absolute best.

Seeing that Leon was still asleep, Siegfried kept as quiet as possible while he went through his clothes. He wasn't quite sure what one wore upon meeting a potential rival for the man one was trying to woo. Whatever he chose, he would need to outshine this person in Pegasus's eyes.

When time was up, Siegfried found himself standing by Pegasus's side watching as the boat docked. Despite Pegasus's assurances that casual dress would be fine, Siegfried had chosen one of his business suits, choosing to leave the jacket unbuttoned in a slight nod towards casual.

"Pegasus!" Siegfried narrowed his eyes as his potential rival stepped off the boat. The newcomer was tall and much too thin, Siegfried decided. Nor was he dressed to properly meet a man of such esteem as Pegasus - not in those jeans and that open-buttoned shirt. The only nod towards formality the man made was a tie draped loosely around his neck.

Pegasus, however, seemed not to care. He was already dragging Siegfried forward to meet the man. "Dr. Banner!" Pegasus called out with far more cheer in his voice than what Siegfried had been greeted with. "This is Siegfried von Schroeder of Schroeder Corp. He and his brother are visiting for a few days. Ziggy-boy, I'd like you to meet Dr. Lymon Banner - alchemist extraordinaire. He's trying to track the history of Duel Monsters back to its earliest origins, among his other projects."

Siegfried narrowed his eyes as he permitted the newcomer a brief handshake. He'd gotten all dressed up to meet this gangly, squinty-eyed scholar! Dr. Banner smiled warmly, as if he were totally oblivious to Siegfried's silent scorn. "Ah! You were in Kaiba's tournament when he opened Kaibaland. The Valkyrie deck, correct?"

"Ja," Siegfried answered coolly. He would spare no more words on this peasant than absolutely necessary.

Banner pushed his glasses up his nose, all smiles. The man was impervious to Siegfried's quiet hostility! "That was an excellent match. Close, too. It was the sort of duel that most Duelists can only dream about!" Siegfried waved a hand dismissively, trying to play the duel off as nothing special. He'd lost, after all. If only he'd had one more turn. The Golden Castle of Stromsburg had been in his hand; he'd been so close to defeating Kaiba. But in the end, he'd been too weak, and Kaiba had emerged victorious.

Turning from Siegfried, Banner held a battered duffle bag out to Pegasus. "I've brought back the books I borrowed, as well as copies of my notes and photos of my latest findings." Croquet intercepted the bag, fitting the strap over his shoulder. No sense in letting Pegasus burden himself with such mundane drudgery.

"And," Pegasus interrupted. "I suppose you want to raid my library again and copy my notes."

"Well, knowledge is meant to be shared," Dr. Banner wheedled sweetly.

Siegfried glared, wondering how Pegasus could stand the presence of this pitiful weed of a person. Both men were becoming lost in discussion of their latest discoveries, and Siegfried had to stifle the urge to childishly stamp his feet and demand they pay attention to him. Oh, yes, that would do wonders for the impression he was trying to make on Pegasus, wouldn't it?

Siegfried trudged behind Pegasus and Dr. Banner as they made their way back to the house. Already he despised this interloper. Siegfried was supposed to have Pegasus to himself, not share him with some over-educated string bean! The very thought was inconceivable! And yet, here Siegfried stood, forgotten as the two older men sought to catch up on their latest doings.

Feeling the need to give vent to his temper before he did something foolish that he would regret later, Siegfried broke away from Pegasus and his friend. Siegfried barged into his room, relieved to see that he would be alone. Leon was probably off exploring. Siegfried grabbed his computer and settled on the bed, figuring that he'd probably feel better once he'd had the opportunity to kill stuff.

Despite what Kaiba might think, Siegfried did have a legitimate character made for the game. Seeing as how he needn't worry about the princess as she was confined to her rooms under guard, Siegfried chose to play legitimately. He entered the game, logged in as his mage character, Kazanlik. Siegfried had modeled the character after himself, figuring that one couldn't go wrong with perfection.

Soon that very model of perfection was on a killing spree, wiping out any monster that dared to cross his path. With each kill, Siegfried imagined Dr. Banner in place of whatever unfortunate hobgoblin he was blasting to pixilated smithereens. It only took Siegfried an hour to realize that he might be the slightest bit jealous of Dr. Banner.

Siegfried von Schroeder, head of the great and powerful Schroeder Corporation, jealous of a piddling nobody who made his living mucking around in the dirt? Why, the very idea was laughable! Or, at least, it should have been. Siegfried couldn't be jealous of Banner's closeness to Pegasus. No, for that would imply that Siegfried might care about Pegasus - might even love the man a little. Siegfried forced himself to laugh at the absurdity of being in love with Pegasus, yet the sound was hollow and desperate.

" Artist-boy is online ," Siegfried's computer announced. Instantly Siegfried began querying the computer for Pegasus's location. To Siegfried's credit, he thought about leaving well enough alone, but he told himself that if Pegasus had figured out some way to get to the princess, then Siegfried needed to be ready to log out so that he could log back in as Ophelia. When the reply came that Pegasus was at the Lilyvale Inn, Siegfried took off towards the town at a run.

"Long time, no see," Siegfried muttered to himself. "Nein, too ridiculous - especially since it hasn't been a long time. Maybe 'fancy meeting you here?' Nein. He's too smart to believe its coincidence. 'Hi?' Too common." By the time he reached the inn, Siegfried still hadn't found the perfect greeting. If anything, his ideas were getting worse. "I've lost my number. Can I have yours? Nein, nein, nein!"

Hoping inspiration would strike; Siegfried barged into the inn just in time to see that he wasn't the only one interested in Pegasus. A pretty, young thief was joining Pegasus at his table, and not just any thief! Siegfried didn't know why Kaiba's boy toy would be here meeting with Pegasus, but he knew the odds were likely that his toying with Ophelia had something to do with it. And for the second time that day, Siegfried was spotted before he could make an escape.

Pegasus began waving, and Siegfried silently cursed himself for making a game avatar that resembled himself so closely. The thief - known in the game as Mercutia, but more commonly known as Joey Wheeler in the real world - turned and glared. Plastering on what he hoped was a friendly smile, Siegfried approached the table.

As if deciding that Siegfried was an unpleasant odor that must be unfortunately tolerated, Wheeler wrinkled his nose and turned back to Pegasus. "Man, I don't know what you said to Seto when you called last night, but I've never seen his face turn that many shades of red! If he wasn't so busy with the holiday crunch, he'd probably have come along just to deck you for it."

Pegasus's face was the absolute picture of innocence. All he lacked was a halo glowing over his head. "I do seem to have that effect on Kaiba-boy for some reason. Can't for the life of me figure out why, though. Anyway, here I am to help with my end of the deal; true to my word, as always." He paused to give Siegfried an appraising look. "Kazanlik? Like the roses?"

"Ja," Siegfried answered, quietly pleased that Pegasus knew where his screen name came from.

As if that were all he wanted to know, Pegasus's attention went back to Wheeler. "We might need a mage on this little trip," he said in an offhand manner. Despite Pegasus's apparent nonchalance, Siegfried realized that the man was trying to include him in the party.

Joey frowned and shook his head. "Weevil's grounded. The little doofus was caught sneaking in after curfew." Without a word, Pegasus jerked a thumb in Siegfried's direction. Siegfried didn't know whether or not Joey had purposefully missed Pegasus's meaning before, but now there was no getting around the unasked question. Joey groaned. "Seto will be pissed if he finds out, not that you two care since you don't have to live with him."

Still, despite Joey's protests, he sent a request to allow Siegfried into the party. The boy was smart enough to know that a rounded-out group would have a better chance in their quest. "So, you know what's up?" Siegfried shook his head, earning a disbelieving look from Joey. "Then listen up. We got word last night that one of the vampires got has ass toasted up good in a volcano eruption. Dartz gave Seto an earful about the hurts done to 'his Pegasus.' The guy nearly blew the speakers out of the computer! Anyway, Seto went to the guys setting up the plots and hassled them for the location of the rings, which we're going to go get."

With a smirk, Pegasus added, "And in exchange for my help, you'll owe me some assistance. You'll lend me a helping hand in a little quest tomorrow night." Siegfried felt a little tremor of worry as he realized that Pegasus's quest most likely involved Ophelia, and probably involved a rescue from her arranged marriage.

"Fine." Joey stood, signaling an end to the discussion. "Let's go. First on the agenda is the Ring of Fire." He turned and began leaving the inn. Pegasus murmured something about the boy spending too much time with Seto, but followed without complaint. When Siegfried realized that they were heading for the town stables, he almost logged out right then. There was no escaping the hoofed monsters!

"I can't ride!" Siegfried blurted, earning stares from the rest of the party. He'd barely been able to maintain his composure when he'd been forced onto the slavering beast during his kidnapping, and now here he was expected to ride a horse willingly. He would rather walk, no matter how far away this magic ring was! Or maybe they could recruit the sphinx.

"Get two horses, Joey-boy," Pegasus said. Siegfried sighed in relief. They were going to let him walk! Admittedly, he wouldn't be able to keep up with the horses, but he would be safe from them. When Joey returned from the stables leading two horses, Pegasus grabbed Siegfried's arm and dragged him to the beasts. "Up with you, Ziggy-boy!" Siegfried froze, feeling as though he were stuck in one of his worst nightmares. Pegasus, meanwhile, was still coaching him. "Just stick your foot in this strap right down here and swing yourself over onto his back. It's easy, really. And I'll be right behind you, so don't worry."

Mechanically, Siegfried followed Pegasus's instructions, somehow managing to clamber onto the beast's back. Pegasus followed, swinging up and over in a single fluid motion. His arms came around Siegfried's body to grab the reins. "There we go, Ziggy-boy! Just leave the driving to me."

As they started off, Pegasus chattered happily to his riding partner. Siegfried knew that Pegasus was just trying to help him forget about being on a horse, but it was still comforting to listen to the steady patter of the man's voice. "You know, Dr. Banner was most recently in Australia. He brought back some hot sauce - says it's so hot it'll make you dizzy! We're going to break into it tonight to see who can stand the heat the longest. Want to join us?"

"Ja," Siegfried murmured, leaning back against Pegasus. As Pegasus continued his incessant chatter, Siegfried watched the scenery rush by. The droning words weren't important; they were simply equivalent to the "easy boy, easy" one would murmur to a frightened animal to keep it from spooking. The forests around Lilyvale gave way to plains, which changed to rockier terrain as they came upon a mountain range.

"Well, guys, welcome to the Cliffs of Doom," Joey announced as the horses were pulled to a halt. "Seto's people really suck at naming stuff, don't they? Sher Woods is a little clever, but Cliffs of Doom is just plain silly." While Siegfried agreed with Joey about the name, as he gazed up at the sheer rocky face of the cliffs, he had to admit there was a certain amount of accuracy involved.

The plan, according to Joey, would be simple. They would find a cave about halfway up - apparently the game designers liked hidden caves. They would go in, take out some frost giants, and get the ring. Simple, right?

To find the cave, Joey scaled the cliff and searched for likely iced over entrances. Whenever he found a likely spot, he would signal and Siegfried would send out a fireball. They found potions and cheap equipment in the ice, which they split to sell later, but no cave entrance. Since Joey was doing all of the real work, Siegfried didn't mind. Instead, he took full advantage of the search time to talk Duel Monsters and, more specifically, Duel Pets with Pegasus.

"So what if one ends up with a Kuriboh battling a Blue Eyes?"

Siegfried chuckled at the thought, guessing that Pegasus was already thinking of a match-up between Yugi and Kaiba. Of course the match-up would have to involve Kaiba; he was the only person who owned the Blue Eyes White Dragon cards. "Then one had best hope the Kuriboh has a variety of tricks, while the Blue Eyes remains a one trick wonder. Multiply, Scapegoat, and Stray Lambs would be useful. Heart of Clear Water would be an asset as well. Also, while attack and defense are standard, I want to include Intelligence and Agility statistics that change as one raises the monster."

"Ah!" Pegasus exclaimed in understanding. "And I'll bet that lower level monsters can earn higher levels in those stats, making them harder to hit and allowing them to learn new tricks. So a Kuriboh could stand a chance against a Blue Eyes if it were raised properly."

"Ja," Siegfried agreed. "Though unless the Kuriboh belonged to Herr Motou, I wouldn't give it much of a chance. He really is the only one I could see pulling off that sort of upset on Herr Kaiba." Siegfried stared off thoughtfully, already thinking about what tactics he would use against Kaiba. Of course the Duel Pets had to be made first, but at least it sounded like Pegasus was favorably disposed towards them.

From the cliffs above, Joey began shouting at Pegasus and Siegfried, telling them to get off their lazy duffs and help him search. Siegfried tried to ignore him, greatly preferring Pegasus's more civilized companionship. "Pegasus!" Joey yelled. "If you two don't get up here, then our deal is -" He was cut off as, with a rocky crumble, the ground beneath him opened and he fell from view.

Pegasus yawned and stood, stretching his arms to the sky. "Well, that was a nice little break. But I suppose that means he's found the cave. If you would be so good as to levitate us up there, Ziggy-boy." Siegfried smiled as he wrapped his arms around Pegasus's neck and cast the Levitate spell. Sure, Siegfried could have gone up first and then brought Pegasus up, but that would have been a dreadful waste of magic. As long as Pegasus had no complaints about this mode of transport, then there was no problem.

"Excellent job, Joey-boy!" Pegasus called down as his feet touched down by the hole. Whatever else Siegfried might possibly think about Pegasus - he was trying to keep a tight rein on that particular train of thought - the man took cheerfulness to a whole new level. It seemed to Siegfried that the more Pegasus knew that being in a good mood would annoy someone; the better Pegasus's mood seemed to be.

Almost as if to confirm Siegfried's thoughts, a rather peevish Joey shouted back, "Just get down here!"

With a long-suffering sigh, as though he were doing both Pegasus and Joey a grand favor, Siegfried began climbing down into the cave. He didn't want to go fight some stupid frost giants over a magic ring. He would much rather spend his time discussing business with Pegasus. Speaking with an intellectual equal was such a rare treat for Siegfried.

Once his feet were safely on solid ground, Siegfried cast levitate to help steady Pegasus. There had been too few handholds on the way down, and Siegfried didn't want to see Pegasus take a crash. "Many thanks for the assist, Ziggy-boy," Pegasus called down as he let go of the wall to float to the ground.

"It is my pleasure, Herr Pegasus," Siegfried murmured, pleased by Pegasus's thanks. His chance to bask in Pegasus's words, however, proved short-lived as a ground-shaking roar echoed through the cavern. Siegfried jumped slightly at the noise, but he never once attempted to latch onto Pegasus like some terror-stricken movie starlet. He had far more class than to behave in such a blatant manner.

Besides, while Siegfried may be a minor star in dueling circles, he certainly wasn't a movie starlet. He wouldn't be caught dead playing a role in the trashy films the unwashed masses thought of as entertainment. And, more importantly, he wasn't love struck. Just because he and Pegasus came from similar backgrounds of good breeding, that did not mean Siegfried was going to turn into a clinging vine over the man.

"I bet those are our frost giants." Joey's words jerked Siegfried out of his contemplative state. Siegfried gave himself one last mental reminder that he was only here to use Pegasus for his connection to Duel Monsters, not dwell on how the man was the greatest thing since glow-in-the-dark roses.

A hand pressed gently against the small of Siegfried's back, and he whirled to see Pegasus grinning at him. "If you're quite through spacing out, Ziggy-boy, we really do need to get to the frost giants." A quick glance showed that Joey was already sneaking off through the tunnel, moving as quietly as possible so as not to set off more roaring. Siegfried murmured a soft apology and started creeping after the thief character.

To get his mind off of Pegasus, Siegfried started plotting out tactics for the upcoming battle. The tunnel, he noted, would be too small for a giant to follow through.

As a mage, Siegfried had the best distance attacks. He hoped he would be able to shoot fireballs at the giants from the safety of the tunnel. Joey, being a thief, would have to depend on sneak attacks. He had the speed to avoid the giants, though if he were hit, it would be devastating to his health meter. And Pegasus would be stuck with a frontal assault. Warrior characters used strength to bull their way through challenges.

As the tunnel reached an end, Joey motioned to the others. "Alright, huddle up! I'll go ahead and check the lay of the land to see how many giants we're facing and where the ring is. You have any good healing spells, Pinky?" Siegfried nodded, looking disgusted at the ridiculous nickname he'd been saddled with. As far as he was concerned, "Ziggy-boy" was infinitely preferable. Joey paid him no mind. "Good. You'll take healing duty. The rest of this is a trick Seto and I perfected when we first started playing. We let the big, bad warrior - that's you, Pegasus - make a frontal assault to distract the giants. In the meantime, I'll be sneaking around to grab the ring. Now wait here while I go check out the situation."

Joey activated his Vanish ability, and Siegfried assumed he was gone. Once again Siegfried was alone with Pegasus. Leaning against the cavern wall, Siegfried watched the man who kept intruding on his thoughts. How strange that he'd come here to win Pegasus so that he could revert Ophelia's files back to their original configuration without breaking the man's heart, yet it was Siegfried, himself, who was becoming more and more intrigued by the man.

Pegasus, for his part, seemed not to have noticed. His thoughts probably still dwelled on Ophelia. Sighing, Siegfried wondered how Pegasus could be so foolish as to choose a virtual creation over a flesh and blood person. 'Maybe he's just been alone too long,' Siegfried mused. Though Pegasus didn't particularly act like a loner, despite his reclusive lifestyle. Of course, Siegfried was hardly one to judge. He'd worked with computers for so long that, with the exception of Leon, he'd almost forgotten what dealing with people could be like.

Siegfried and Pegasus both watched the tunnel as Joey reappeared. "Three giants," he told them. "This tunnel is the only way in or out, and there's a treasure chest on a pedestal, which is probably our ring."

The three crept stealthily through the tunnel. As the entrance opened up onto an icy chamber, Siegfried ducked behind a rock. As primary healer for the group, he needed to stay out of the line of fire. Joey gave Siegfried a thumbs up in silent approval of the spot he'd chosen, then he motioned to Pegasus. With a nod, Pegasus charged into the giants' chamber. Once the giants were after Pegasus, Joey began sneaking from icy pillar to icy pillar.

Siegfried peered carefully out from behind his stony haven to watch Pegasus battle. Of the three, Pegasus had the most dangerous job. "Fe fi fo fum! I see something cold, slow, and dumb!" Pegasus taunted as his sword darted out to slice at glacial ankles. He darted amongst the gigantic feet with enough agility to make Jack the Giant Killer proud. One giant behind Pegasus raised its club to strike at what it no doubt saw as an insignificant insect. Pegasus dodged the attack and the club slammed into another giant. At this rate, Siegfried realized that a healer might not be needed at all.

"Retreat!" Joey shouted suddenly. Pegasus broke off his assault on the giants, heading for the tunnel at a flat out run. Once Pegasus had gone past, Siegfried followed. He made good time until an invisible body slammed him against the wall. "Where is it, Pinky?" Joey snarled as Vanish wore off. "What have you done with the ring? I bet you've done something with them all, haven't you? Haven't you?" Joey shook Siegfried violently, as if he could rattle the answers out of him.

"Nein! Nein!" Siegfried protested as he tried to pull free from the young thug. Just beyond Joey, Siegfried saw that Pegasus was watching. Well, of course he would be, what with one member of his party assaulting another. If he weren't careful, Seto's hooligan boyfriend would beat the truth out of him right in front of Pegasus. "Nein," Siegfried repeated softly, trying to remain calm. If he panicked, he'd end up saying something foolish. "I've done nothing with the rings. I've done nothing to change Herr Kaiba's game plot. I swear it!"

"Liar!" Joey growled, reminding Siegfried of a mangy cur. His grip on Siegfried's magician robes tightened. "You're a lying cheat, Pinky! Seto and I know you've been messing with-"

"Ja," Siegfried interrupted. "I've tinkered recently, but not with anything that will affect the plot. I have no interest in the game plot. I swear to you on my deck, Herr Wheeler. I swear on my honor as a Duelist. When I do something, Herr Wheeler, I will take credit for it. In Herr Kaiba's Grand Championship Tournament, did I deny my identity when I was found out? Did I deny tinkering with the Golden Castle of Stromsburg? Nein, I did not. Yet I deny your accusations now."

Slowly, Joey released his grip on Siegfried. "If you're lying..." Siegfried chose to ignore Joey as he carefully began smoothing imaginary wrinkles out of his clothes. He would not let some worthless street punk intimidate him. Likewise choosing to ignore Siegfried for the moment, Joey turned his attention to Pegasus. "Since you came to help, and it's not your fault that the ring wasn't there, I'll be back tomorrow night to help with your quest." Without another word, Joey logged out of the game.

"And I thought I was good at annoying people." Siegfried blinked in surprise as he realized that Pegasus was laughing at him. He hadn't known that getting yelled at by a common thug would be so amusing. "I suppose if you want to clear your good name with Kaiba-boy, you'll have to help find the rings. But don't worry - you won't be doing it alone. Ah, but the real world beckons. Don't go forgetting our little hot sauce competition." And then Pegasus was gone, leaving Siegfried alone.

With no reason to stay in the game world, Siegfried chose to follow the actions of the rest of his party and log out. As he opened his eyes to the real world, he found himself face to face with his little brother. Leon's face was so pale that his freckles stood out more clearly than usual. Upon seeing that Siegfried was back from the game, Leon buried his face against his brother's chest and trembled.

"Leon?" Siegfried draped his arms around his brother, holding him until the shaking subsided.

Slowly, Leon lifted his face to stare at Siegfried, eyes wide with an as yet undisclosed horror. "He's got her body." Leon's voice was tight and squeaky with fear. "I found it. It's her! The lady in the pictures!"

Siegfried frowned, wondering how that could be possible. The only answer he could come up with was that it wasn't. "Leon, think a moment. This woman has been dead for years. If you had truly found her body, then it would be decomposed beyond all recognition. And I truly doubt Herr Pegasus has an interest in necrophilia."

Instead of agreeing that Siegfried must be right, Leon pulled away, grabbing hold of Siegfried's arm and pulling him along. Siegfried went along, willing to go see this "body" to dispel Leon's fears. They wound their way quickly along the hallways, retracing Leon's steps. Siegfried was certain that there was a straighter route, but he kept this thought to himself.

When they stopped in front of a door, Siegfried could see nothing unusual to set it aside from the other doors lining the halls. Leon opened it and gave Siegfried a shove. Siegfried stepped into what appeared to be a woman's room. Closed floral print curtains left the room dark. A vanity stood at attention against the far wall, a variety of brushes spread out across it for the easy use of the room's occupant. Siegfried felt against the wall for the light switch to get a better look. As the room lit up, he could see a form stretched out on a canopy bed.

Siegfried's frown deepened as he knew full well that he, Leon, and Dr. Banner were Pegasus's only guests. Hesitantly he approached the bed. As he neared, he could see that the form was blonde, female, and lying far too still. Her chest didn't rise and fall in the deep rhythm of slumber. With a little shiver of disgust, Siegfried reached out to feel for a pulse. Nothing.

Siegfried recoiled, staring in horror at the body on the bed. His mind raced through possible explanations. Maybe Pegasus kidnapped women and killed them, then dressed them up as Cecilia. Or perhaps he'd used the magic of Duel Monsters to somehow keep his wife's body preserved. Or-

"Hello!" Siegfried spun to face the door. Dr. Banner stood there, smiling pleasantly. "You really shouldn't be in here. Though I doubt Pegasus will mind all that much so long as you don't inconvenience him. You aren't going to do that, are you?"

Siegfried shook his head. He wouldn't dare inconvenience a man that kept dead bodies in spare bedrooms. Much to Siegfried's surprise, Banner went to the body and began examining it like a doctor looking over a patient. "I think she might be dead," Siegfried said quietly.

Banner looked up from the body, smiling as he pushed his glasses up his nose. "More to the point, it was never alive. It's a homunculus - an alchemical construct. Pegasus was going to bring the dear girl back to life, and so I constructed this body for him. A shame he wasn't able to succeed, really. It would have been nice to study an active homunculus. But without a soul, it's just a useless lump."

"It is a rather realistic lump," Siegfried muttered, leaning closer to get a better look. Now that he knew he wasn't looking at a real body, he found himself curious. Of course, having the homunculus around was almost as creepy as having a dead body around.

"That was rather the point," Banner murmured as he shone a light into the homunculus's ear. "Starting to deteriorate. Maybe two more years before it falls into complete ruin. An active homunculus would probably have been long gone by now." He pulled out a notebook and began scribbling out his findings. "Pegasus will be glad to hear that. It's got to be hard on him to have this thing here. But alas there's nowhere else to keep it, really."

"He keeps it here for you to study?" Siegfried asked.

Banner paused in his writing to nod. "Yes. It took years to make this one. It would be a shame to just throw away all that work simply because he couldn't get hold of the soul that he wanted." Banner glanced at the homunculus and sighed, giving his head a slight shake. "It's a shame he couldn't succeed. Pegasus would have given everything within his power just for one more day with her. Though I believe that finding someone else that he could love would do Pegasus a world of good." Banner closed up his notebook, smiling inscrutably as he eyed Siegfried.

The notebook was deposited in a satchel, and a bottle pulled out. The bottle, though similar to a wine bottle in shape, was wrapped in a bright red paper. A label featuring chili peppers told Siegfried that this was the Australian hot sauce Pegasus had mentioned earlier. Resigned to this silly competition, Siegfried followed Banner out of the room. He paused as he saw Leon still waiting by the door. "You heard?" he asked. Leon nodded and Siegfried smiled. "Good. Go on back to exploring then. I have an appointment to keep with Herr Pegasus."

"Good luck, big brother." Siegfried wanted to tell Leon that a Schroeder didn't depend on luck. But where Pegasus was concerned, Siegfried felt that luck might be just what he needed. Siegfried von Schroeder hoping to get lucky... The double meaning started him on a fit of giggles that caused Banner to give him an odd look.

Siegfried offered no explanations for what he found so humorous, and the two continued on to the sitting room in silence. When they arrived, they found Pegasus draped comfortably across a leather chair. Three shot glasses waited on the coffee table, as well as three glasses of water. Pegasus sat up straighter as his guests arrive. "Gentlemen! Come, sit." He held out a hand and Banner gave him the hot sauce bottle. In moments, the shot glasses were filled to the brim with the bright red liquid. "The name of the game is 'Can You Stand the Heat?' and the rules are quite simple. The last one to go for the water wins."

Siegfried watched the other two men thoughtfully. This seemed like the kind of game where wagers were made. "What are the stakes?"

"We play for requests," Banner explained. "The winner gets to make a request of either of the losers. I'll be asking for my usual. I haven't given up hope of getting a peek at your list of Forbidden Monsters, Pegasus."

"Very well." Pegasus waved a hand graciously. "If you win, the list is yours. And if I win, I fully intend to get another bottle of wine out of Ziggy-boy. You did bring more than just the one, correct?"

"Ja," Siegfried murmured. "Though it seems strange that you ask for something I intended to give you anyway."

"But it's more fun to win it, Ziggy-boy! And now your turn. What will your request be?"

Siegfried's gaze traveled up to the ceiling as he thought. He briefly flirted with the idea of having Pegasus agree to the Duel Pets. The temptation was definitely there, but there existed another temptation as well. "I think," Siegfried said slowly as he weighed his options. "I think, Herr Pegasus, that I would like a kiss."

For once, Siegfried had the pleasure of knowing he'd caught Pegasus by surprise as his one visible platinum eyebrow arched delicately towards his hairline. Pegasus's expression alone made the request worth making. Even Banner seemed to agree as he covered his mouth to hide a smile. "Yes," Siegfried murmured, picking up a glass of hot sauce. "I believe that is what I want to play for. Cheers, gentlemen."

Pegasus and Banner reached for their glasses as Siegfried downed his in a single gulp. Tears sprang to Siegfried's eyes and he knew his face must have been reddening ludicrously from the spicy sauce. Pegasus seemed to be in a similar state, and Banner panted openly, waving a hand in front of his tongue in a vain attempt to squelch out the heat. When no one reached for the water, Pegasus poured another round.

It was after the second round of hot sauce that Banner grabbed a water glass. Siegfried watched enviously as he drank deeply and refilled the glass. A bit of water to cool the fire in his mouth would be nice. 'Weak,' Siegfried decided. No one would see Siegfried folding after only the second round of anything. After Pegasus poured the third round, he and Siegfried clinked their glasses together. Despite the discomfort, Siegfried enjoyed the challenge; he was having fun.

When the hot sauce bottle was half empty, Pegasus finally reached for a water glass. As he drank deeply, Siegfried wasted no time in following suit. "No sense blistering my mouth over something that you pointed out I'll be getting anyway," Pegasus gasped out as he refilled his water glass. After finishing off the glass, Pegasus took Siegfried's hand and started bringing it to his lips.

"Nein," Siegfried chuckled, pulling his hand away. "A kiss, not a dainty peck." Before Pegasus could argue that the terms of the wager hadn't been adequately defined, Siegfried leaned in pressed his mouth against Pegasus's. If Siegfried couldn't say anything else good about his time as Ophelia, it had at least taught him how Pegasus liked to be kissed. His fingers clutched tightly at Pegasus's jacket as he refused to release the man until he was finally sated. Pegasus tasted of wine and the spices in the hot sauce, a heady combination when added to the thrill of victory. "A kiss," Siegfried repeated when he finally drew away.

Siegfried permitted himself a pleased smirk, feeling rather like the cat that stole the cream. "You're right. It is more fun to win what you want. There's still hot sauce left if you want to go double or nothing." Siegfried moved in to try to steal another kiss, but Pegasus held up a hand to stop him. Knowing that he couldn't push too hard, Siegfried pulled back.

"You flatter me, Ziggy-boy." Nothing in Pegasus's voice hinted at sarcasm. The man was a monument of sincerity. Pegasus cupped his hand against Siegfried's cheek. "To go to such lengths to secure a deal. It's truly flattering that you could put aside your disgust over my face. But I'm taken."

Siegfried jerked back, turning away quickly to hide the crumbling of his once-triumphant expression. Pegasus might as well have followed the cliché and ripped Siegfried's heart from his chest. Did he truly seem so shallow as all that? Siegfried took a shuddery breath and rose. He'd lost. He couldn't win Pegasus from Ophelia, and now the man thought him to be loose as well. "Whoever this person is, Herr Pegasus, then they're very fortunate."

Before Siegfried could make a graceful escape, a hand shot out and grabbed onto his wrist. He was pulled back down to his chair. Long, slender fingers tilted Siegfried's face until he found himself the object of Pegasus's scrutiny. Quickly Siegfried schooled his face into a mask of cold haughtiness, though he knew it was too late. If he'd been of a vulgar turn of mind, Siegfried would have said that karma was a bitch as a hint of pity touched Pegasus's face. He was too well bred to say such a thing, though he did think it.

It was Pegasus who broke the silence. "Love is an iron, isn't it?" Siegfried blinked at the erratic train of thought. Pegasus smiled as he watched Siegfried try to puzzle out his meaning. After a moment, Pegasus began to laugh softly. "Perhaps it isn't fair for me to make that sort of joke to one whose native language isn't English. Let's see if I can't clear it up for you. An alchemist engages in alchemy and an artist engages in artistry..."

A tiny, hiccupy chuckle escaped Siegfried as he began to understand. The thin stem of a wine glass was pushed into Siegfried's hand. He turned to regard Banner, who was pouring two more glasses. When the wine was distributed, both men turned to Siegfried to see what the toast would be. Toasting to success hadn't brought Siegfried any, so tonight he would try something different. "To irons," he said softly.

Siegfried contented himself with just the one glass of wine. Much more than that and he would have become disturbingly maudlin, and would probably give voice to things that Pegasus didn't need to hear. As Pegasus poured a second glass for himself and Banner, Croquet showed up with a tray of food and another bottle of wine. Siegfried resigned himself to a second glass with the meal, though he ruefully declined a third, confessing that too much would give him a most undignified case of the hiccups. As soon as it was politely possible, Siegfried bid Pegasus and Dr. Banner a good night.

The morning brought Pegasus knocking on Siegfried's bedroom door. Rather than face the man, Siegfried had Leon tell him that he was feeling a little hung-over from the copious amounts of wine that he hadn't drunken the night before. Siegfried spent the morning hiding in his room, much to Leon's disgust. Though Siegfried couldn't blame his brother. He was disgusted with himself for hiding like this also.

"Siegfried! You shouldn't treat him like this. If you want to win him, get out there and do it! Schroeders don't give up!"

Siegfried shook his head glumly. "It is over, Leon. He wants _her_, and there's nothing I can do."

Leon crouched on the bed, inching closer to Siegfried. "He may love Ophelia, but you're Ophelia, Siegfried. That means he loves you. He just doesn't know it yet. And that's why you can't give up. Maybe things aren't going to end up happily ever after. But then again, maybe they will. You'll never know if you give up, Siegfried."

The ringing of Siegfried's phone interrupted the brotherly bonding moment. Still, Siegfried felt better after Leon's little pep talk, though he did make a mental note to leave his phone turned off. With a sigh, he answered with an abrupt, "I told you before, Mother, we'll be home when our business with Herr Pegasus is concluded."

"And what business might that be?" Suddenly Siegfried found himself wishing that he'd bothered to check the number before answering.

"Why, it would be none of your business, Herr Kaiba." Siegfried could guess what was coming next, and so he waited for Kaiba's accusations. He would have loved to call them "unfounded accusations," but seeing as how he did have a history of messing with the game, that wasn't quite possible. At least Siegfried knew Kaiba would prove more predictable than Pegasus.

"What have you done to my game? Where are the rings?"

Siegfried smirked at the questions, pleased to see that he at least knew his business rival well enough to know his reactions. "I have done nothing with the rings," he answered honestly. Kaiba would never believe him, of course. "The only tinkering I have done is on the Princess Ophelia. And even you must admit, she looks ever-so-much better now."

"Siegfried..." Kaiba's voice promised a thousand and one painful deaths in the near future if Siegfried weren't straight with him.

"Walk me through your little game plot from the beginning, Herr Kaiba. Let's figure out where things went wrong, hm?"

Kaiba went quiet on the other end of the line. Soon, Siegfried heard the shuffling of papers, which he presumed was Kaiba sorting through game notes. Finally, the silence was broken. "Alright, it started with the Bandit King, Zero." Siegfried sat up straighter on the bed, instantly attentive. He remembered hearing mention of this Bandit King during his kidnapping. Only, the way he heard it, Zero wasn't Bandit King anymore. "Zero wants his bandits to be the most powerful group in the world, so he stole the rings and hid them away to cause a war. Only, the rings apparently were never hidden."

Siegfried winced at the unspoken accusation. Kaiba would never believe him to be the innocent party in this mess. It was odd that Kaiba hadn't mentioned Zero's replacement, unless he didn't know! And if Kaiba didn't know about it, then it couldn't be a programmed NPC. A player then? Suppose a player reached Zero before the rings had been hidden. An unscrupulous player might keep the rings for himself and take over Zero's brigands. It was only when Kaiba began demanding to know whether or not Siegfried was still there that he realized he'd been silent for several minutes to pursue his own thoughts. Quickly Siegfried began outlining his theory.

"How convenient that you just happen to know that Zero's not the Bandit King anymore," Seto growled. Siegfried sneered, but kept quiet about the inconvenience of gaining that tidbit of knowledge. He certainly wasn't about to reveal to Seto that he'd been the princess at the time. "Damn," Seto sighed. "If it is a player, then there's nothing to stop him from logging out whenever anyone approaches him for the rings."

"Well, have fun catching new Bandit King, Herr Kaiba." Siegfried turned the power off on his phone so that he wouldn't be disturbed again, and rushed to his computer. Soon he had Ophelia's files opened, and his fingers flew across the keyboard in a familiar clatter. If he were a bandit, he would find the ball to be the perfect time to kidnap a princess. What fun it would be to capture the recalcitrant player before Kaiba could!

Feeling rejuvenated in part to his brother's pep talk, though more greatly due to this new challenge, Siegfried spent the day holed up in the bedroom working on a game patch to catch the new Bandit King. Siegfried was briefly aware of people checking in on him as he worked, but he tried not to allow himself to become distracted. He had little enough time to prepare, as it was. As the ball drew nearer, Siegfried saved and loaded his work. He'd have liked more time to tweak the game patch a bit more, but time wasn't an option.

When Siegfried logged back into the game, he found himself in Ophelia's rooms, standing by the fireplace and staring at the most horridly pink dress he'd ever seen. Generally, Siegfried liked pinks and lavenders, but even he knew when there was too much of a good thing. He couldn't even begin to guess what Ophelia had been thinking to agree to wear that monstrosity; it would have left her looking like a ruffled, pink bell draped in chiffon! With a disgusted growl, Siegfried shoved past the servant holding the dress and threw open the wardrobe.

"Mistress?" the servant simpered in confusion.

"I refuse to wear that monstrosity," Siegfried snarled. "I am not to appear as some gaudy weed at the ball. Do you understand?" The servant stared blankly at Siegfried, and he sighed. Of course it wouldn't understand. The stupid thing was programmed to obey, not have good taste. Knowing that the ball was soon to start, Siegfried grabbed a dress and gave it a quick look. Ice blue fabric embroidered with silver roses spilled to the ground. "Perfect," Siegfried murmured as he held the dress against his body. Ruefully, he added, "I don't suppose there are any glass slippers to go with it." Again, he only received a blank stare in response.

Hoping that the servant would be better at following orders than she was at understanding jokes, Siegfried held out the dress. "Help me into this," he commanded. The servant approached and began to do as commanded. While Siegfried was dressed and primped, he let himself wonder about what would happen at the ball. The player masquerading as the Bandit King was quite likely to strike. If he was as crude as his men, a frontal assault on the castle might be likely. Yet the man had to have some slight modicum of planning ability if he were truly capable of ruling the brigands as well as, or better than, Zero.

And Pegasus would be at the ball. What mischief would he be planning? Something truly unexpected, no doubt, though not necessarily chaotic. "Love is an iron," Siegfried murmured. While Pegasus hadn't exactly returned Siegfried's sentiments, he'd understood. Maybe he even realized that Siegfried hadn't meant to start caring about him.

Once he was properly presentable by his own standards and not the standards of a programmed servant, Siegfried allowed himself to be led to the ballroom. As he neared the ball, he could hear strains of a well-played waltz. At least Kaiba Corp had the decency to program proper music for the setting. A formal ball set to the background of soft rock would have been unduly awkward.

At first glance, the ball appeared to be everything a ball should be. The richest of the rich in their finest finery twirled gracefully beneath a multitude of crystal chandeliers. Before he could properly scan the revelers, Siegfried was ushered to the king's dais. "Honored guests," the king boomed. "I am proud to present my daughter, the Princess Ophelia, and her husband-to-be, Prince Henry!"

Siegfried was thrust next to a thin, mousy-haired man who squinted like a myopic rabbit, and wore more jewelry than most jewelry stores carry. Siegfried spent a brief moment trying to remember the repetitive American slang word for such gaudiness. It was such a silly word, really, and it always left Siegfried chuckling whenever he heard it. Then, the man licked his lips nervously before taking Siegfried's hand and kissing it. "Betrothed," he purred lecherously in greeting. Prince Henry was hardly a Prince Charming. Siegfried stared out among the assembly desperately as he was led out onto the floor for his first dance with Ophelia's fiancé, but he caught sight of no armed bandits ready to rush through the crowd and kidnap him.

As the dance drew to a close, a polite voice asked to cut in, and Siegfried found himself twirling through the next dance with Pegasus. "You looked like you could use a small rescue," Pegasus whispered. Pegasus's gaze drifted briefly to Prince Henry before turning back to Siegfried. "You aren't attracted to that sort, are you?"

Siegfried snorted in disgust. So far, Henry had struck him as nothing more than a twit. Interested in that sort? Not hardly. Henry was light years away from Siegfried's exacting standards of physical beauty, and thus far he'd shown the intelligence of a gourd. "Sir Pegasus, I would rather be kidnapped again than wed that buffoon."

Siegfried spent the evening being passed almost exclusively between Pegasus and Prince Henry. Of the two, Siegfried much preferred Pegasus. Henry spent the night making vulgar jokes and trying to slip off with Siegfried alone. For someone who was supposed to be a member of the nobility, Henry was hardly noble.

When at last Siegfried was able to make his escape back to Ophelia's rooms by pleading a headache, he dropped gratefully down into a chair. He'd been so certain that the Bandit King player would strike at the ball, yet there hadn't been a single nibble at the bait. Siegfried rubbed his tired eyes, wondering how he could have been so wrong. By his calculations, the ball would have been a prime time to kidnap the princess and lose oneself in the confusion. Either that or-

A hand grabbed Siegfried's shoulder, jerking him out of his reverie. _'Or wait until Ophelia is alone and then pluck her from the safety of her home,'_ Siegfried thought with a sigh. Grabbing the hand by the wrist, Siegfried tore loose from the grip, spinning so that he was behind the kidnapper, pinning an arm behind the back. "Schiese," Siegfried swore as he realized just who it was.

Almost immediately, Siegfried wished he'd bitten back the curse as the thief character turned to face him with wide, surprised eyes. "Pinky?"

Siegfried shrugged in acknowledgment, glancing briefly at the window Wheeler had slipped in through. "You know, it is common courtesy to announce one's self before entering a lady's rooms."

Wheeler let out a derisive snort. "You hardly qualify as a lady. Even if you are the closest a guy can get to being a woman without undergoing the big snip-snip. Now what the hell is going on? And make it snappy because Pegasus is waiting."

"Are you familiar with the acronym 'FUBAR'?" When Wheeler nodded, Siegfried said simply. "Well, the 'snappy' version is that I seem to have gotten myself into a situation that fits in that category."

Joey sighed and began rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Give me the long version. I'll just tell Pegasus that I spent my time trying to convince you not to bother packing." Once Siegfried obtained Joey's word that Pegasus wouldn't be told what was going on, he launched into as brief an explanation as possible about what he'd thought would be a brilliant plan and how he was trying unsuccessfully to end it. When he finished, Joey merely shook his head in disbelief. "That is beyond fubared."

"Ja," Siegfried agreed.

"You really should just tell him the truth. It would save you a lot of hassle," Wheeler pointed out.

Siegfried echoed Wheeler's earlier snort of derision. The truth? If Pegasus knew the truth, then he would hate Siegfried. "I cannot, Herr Wheeler. I would rather spend the rest of my life playing this role for him. At least he will be happy."

Wheeler regarded Siegfried in silence for a moment. The look on his face was so serious that Siegfried almost would have given half his fortune to know what the boy was thinking. At last, Wheeler grinned and offered Siegfried a bag that had been discarded in the scuffle. "Go on, Princess. Go change, and then I'll get you to your knight in shining armor."

Without a word, Siegfried began struggling with the dress, thankful that he'd at least paid enough attention when it was going on to have some vague idea as to how to remove it. The dress suffered only minimally as Siegfried freed himself from it. The clothes Joey had brought were of a much simpler variety than the gown had been - breeches, a tunic, boots, and a cloak all went on with no difficulties.

Once Siegfried was dressed for sneaking out, Joey peered out the window to check for guards. Seeing that all was clear, he began climbing down his rope. Siegfried took a deep breath and followed, praying that they could avoid discovery. As they touched down in the courtyard, Joey dragged Siegfried into the nearest pool of shadows. The two moved from shadowed area to shadowed area as quickly and silently as possible. As they neared the stables, Siegfried groaned. Horses again?

Joey smirked and motioned Siegfried inside. When Siegfried entered, he sighed in relief at the sight of the sphinx. Rather than being in an absolute panic, the horses slept peacefully. "A spell of sleep keeps the beasts in slumber deep," the sphinx explained in hushed tones, holding up a scroll. Wheeler climbed onto the sphinx's back and motioned for Siegfried to do likewise.

Once Siegfried was settled in front of Joey, he felt the sphinx tense up beneath him. As if the lion's part of her body had a mind of its own, the backside wriggled with excitement before the creature bounded out of the stables. The sphinx made no attempt at stealth as her paws thudded onto the cobblestones of the courtyard. Guards yelled and took up pursuit of the beast. Siegfried held the hood of his cloak in place, hoping to avoid recognition. The castle wall loomed ahead, and with a bunching of muscles and a spreading of wings, the sphinx cleared it with apparent ease.

Once safely beyond the castle, Siegfried let out a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Joey tapped his shoulder and pointed. Siegfried stared, realizing that in the distance, he could see a huge mass hanging low in the sky. "The Floating City," Joey told him. "It's going to crash if we can't get the Ring of Air back." Siegfried stared at the slowly descending city, imagining the carnage when it impacted with the ground. Even though this world wasn't real, he didn't want to see such a terrible thing happen. He clenched his fist and smiled coldly, knowing that if he could just find the Bandit King, he could get the rings back.

The sphinx touched down outside the monsters' home. Pegasus came running off the porch as soon as they'd landed. Siegfried scrambled off the sphinx's back just as Pegasus reached the group. He found himself twirled in Pegasus's arms as he was kissed soundly. "Welcome home, Princess," Pegasus murmured. Home... What an odd thing to consider this little hovel. Yet the monsters certainly seemed to have no complaints.

As Pegasus led Siegfried inside, Siegfried glanced around, trying to see what about the place made the monsters think of it as home. It was barely big enough for the beasts. Surely the vampire castle would've made a better home. Yet the creatures chose the cottage. As they entered, the Vampire Lords paused in their cuddling by the fire to call out greetings. Siegfried remained lost in silent contemplation while Pegasus responded to the greetings in kind.

'_How could anyone consider a tiny place like this to be a home?'_ Siegfried mused, allowing Pegasus to continue to lead him. He paused, however, as he saw that Pegasus's destination was the cottage's only bedroom. Maybe being with the people you loved made a place a home. Siegfried felt that maybe, just maybe, he could consider anyplace with Pegasus to be a home. _'Of course,'_ Siegfried realized soon after Pegasus had closed the bedroom door behind them. _'A soft bed certainly helps make a place feel like a home, too.'_


End file.
